SUSI-Eelpower and EDF bring North Scotland’s first 50MW battery into commercial operation

• First 50 MW battery on the North of Scotland distribution network
• One of the two largest operational Battery Energy Storage sites in Scotland
• Instrumental in enabling increased integration of intermittent renewable energy and particularly Scotland’s substantial offshore wind capacity  

Earlier this month, SUSI-Eelpower, a joint venture between SUSI Partners and Eelpower dedicated to deploying large-scale battery energy storage assets in the UK, brought online the largest standalone operational battery storage in Scotland. The battery is located in Dundee and has a capacity of 50MW.

SUSI-Eelpower has selected EDF, a leading provider of battery optimisation and trading services in the UK, as trading and optimisation partner. EDF will provide market access and optimise operations via their market leading trading platform across all available revenue streams including balancing mechanism, trading, and ancillary services.

The Dunsinane battery energy storage site will play an important role in decarbonising energy by providing balancing services to National Grid which will allow the integration of greater levels of renewable generation.

Scotland is home to 60% of the UK’s offshore wind capacity which creates a challenge for National Grid given the intermittent nature of this resource.  Large scale battery energy storage sites such as Dunsinane allow the wind energy to be stored and used in times of peak demand for the benefit of Scottish homes and businesses.

Scotland’s ambitious climate change legislation requires the country to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045.  It is forecast that offshore wind deployed in Scottish waters will rise tenfold, from 1GW today to 11GW by 2030. The first standalone distribution connected battery energy storage asset therefore represents a significant building block of national energy infrastructure and a major milestone for Scotland’s renewable energy journey.

Mark Simon, CEO of Eelpower, welcomed the 50MW Dunsinane battery entering commercial operations, saying “Dunsinane is the first of a series of large battery assets which will transform the ability of the grid to balance the rapid growth in intermittent renewable generation and help manage constraints at this critical part of Great Britain.  With EDF’s support, Dunsinane will deliver on the promise that flexible battery assets represent for Scotland”. 

Stuart Fenner, Head of Energy Trading Services at EDF, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with SUSI-Eelpower ensuring they have a route to market for the first Scottish distribution connected battery. Battery storage plays a huge part in the road to net zero and helping to decarbonise our energy system and this is a major milestone for Scotland, as well as easing pressure on the National Grid.”

For SUSI-Eelpower, the battery in Dunsinane starting commercial operations comes shortly after the commissioning of a 10MW battery in Winchester, England, earlier this year. The Winchester battery is part of the Constraint Management Zone around the Rownhams grid supply point in Hampshire and will provide stability to a key congested part of the national electricity grid.

ENDS

For media enquiries: media@edfenergy.com.

About EDF

EDF is helping Britain achieve Net Zero by leading the transition to a cleaner, low emission, electric future and tackling climate change. It is the UK’s largest producer of low-carbon electricity(1) and supplies millions of customers with electricity and gas.

It generates low carbon electricity from five nuclear power stations and more than thirty onshore wind farms and two offshore wind farms.

EDF is leading the UK's nuclear renaissance with the construction of a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C, and there are advanced plans for a replica at Sizewell C in Suffolk. Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C will provide low carbon electricity to meet 14% of UK demand and power around 12 million homes.

EDF is one of the UK’s largest investors in renewables, with more than 1GW of renewable generation in operation and over 5GW in construction, planning and development across a range of technologies including onshore and offshore wind, solar and battery storage. We are constructing our largest offshore wind farm in Britain – the 450 MW Neart na Gaoithe project in Scotland.

EDF is helping its customers, both in business and at home, take their first steps to sustainably powering their lives. Whether it is buying an electric car, generating and storing electricity, selling energy back to the grid or installing a heat pump. EDF is one of the largest suppliers to British business and a leading supplier of innovative energy solutions that are helping businesses become more energy independent. In addition, the company’s energy services business, Imtech, is one of the largest technical service providers in the UK and Ireland.

EDF is part of EDF Group, the world’s biggest electricity generator. In the UK, the company employs around 11,000 people at locations across England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

EDF are a leading provider of battery optimisation and trading services in the UK, delivering market leading performance by leveraging the latest in AI optimisation technology and in-house battery trading expertise. EDF has currently contracted more than 900MW of battery storage in Great Britain.

About Eelpower (www.eelpower.co.uk)

Eelpower, founded in 2017, is a privately held, well-established constructor-owner-operator in the new and rapidly growing electricity storage market.   Eelpower's management team and investors previously built the largest hydropower sites in England this century where they pioneered behind-the-meter battery storage integrated with hydro generation and industrial consumers.  Since launch, Eelpower has generated among the highest revenues per MW of all storage operators in UK.

In January 2021, Eelpower and SUSI announced their joint venture to construct and operate a pipeline of new build battery storage assets in the UK.

About SUSI Partners (www.susi-partners.com)

Founded in 2009, SUSI Partners is a Swiss-based investment manager specialised in sustainable energy infrastructure investments with EUR 1.9bn in capital commitments from institutional investors. The firm’s investment strategy focuses on private equity and credit opportunities across the energy transition spectrum, including clean energy generation, energy efficiency measures, and solutions enabling clean energy use. With a successful track record of more than 140 transactions in over 20 countries to date, SUSI Partners seeks to achieve attractive risk-adjusted returns for its clients and their beneficiaries while contributing meaningfully to achieving global climate neutrality.