Europe’s biggest battery energy storage system managed by a Tesla went live in East Yorkshire.
The Pillswood project located near Hull can store up to 196 MWh (megawatt hours) of electricity in one cycle. The stored energy is enough to power about 300,000 UK homes for two hours.
Battery energy storage systems like this are used to store energy generated from renewable sources such as wind and solar.
Considering the intermittent nature of renewable electricity, stored electricity is used to supply electricity at times of high demand. However, at times when supply is high and demand is low, extra energy is stored. Thus Pillswood project will provide critical balancing services to the electricity grid network while replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy.
“Battery energy storage systems are essential to unlocking the full potential of renewable energy in the UK, and we hope this particular one highlights Yorkshire as a leader in green energy solutions,” Peter Kavanagh, director of Harmony Energy, said in a statement.
“It is also a significant achievement for Harmony Energy Limited: this project is the third, and largest, battery energy storage project which we have developed and subsequently delivered through construction,” he said.
Earlier this project was scheduled to go live over two phases in December 2022 and March 2023
However, the company advanced the launch by four months as the UK is expected to face energy shortages this winter because of the ongoing energy crisis.
In a BBC report from October, UK energy regulator Ofgem said, “Due to the war in Ukraine and gas shortages in Europe, there is a significant risk that gas shortages could occur during winter 2022-23 in Great Britain. As a result, there is a possibility that Great Britain could enter into a gas supply emergency.”
