UK battery storage pipeline surges to 16GW

• Boosted regional planning powers quicken consent procedure

Greater than 16GW of battery storage ability is running, under construction or being prepared in the UK across 729 projects.

This is up from 10.5 GW throughout 600 projects recognized in December 2019, according to RenewableUK's most recent Energy Storage Project Knowledge record.

The record recognizes 1.1 GW of battery storage space ability currently functional contrasted to 0.7 GW in December 2019.

An additional 0.6 GW is incomplete, 8.3 GW of capacity is consented and also 1.6 GW is in the planning system.

An additional 4.5 GW are identified as being at an early stage of growth for future submission right into the planning system.

Additional regulations entered into force in December allowing regional preparation authorities to determine projects with a capacity of over 50MW in England as well as 350MW in Wales.

Formerly these were determined by main government, making the procedure much longer as well as a lot more complicated.

RenewableUK has identified 3 projects which have actually given that been submitted for determination by neighborhood planning authorities with a capability of 100MW each.

RenewableUK's director of future electrical energy systems Barnaby Wharton stated: "We're already seeing grid-scale batteries of 50MW being constructed, giving important flexibility to the grid, and also we anticipate lots of projects with an even larger capacity will certainly be sent into the preparation system following the removal of the 50MW cap."

Nevertheless, numerous projects need access to funding at a lower price as well as more steady earnings, he said: "We're wishing that the honest upgrade to the Smart System and also Flexibility Plan will certainly set out exactly how the Government imagines making earnings streams for storage projects more clear.

" We also need a stable network billing program and a long-term vision for the market to encourage additional investment by innovative business."