“Europe’s largest” Harmony Energy debuts a giant energy storage project

Harmony Energy Income Trust today announced that Europe’s largest battery energy storage project is now online at the Pillswood site.

The company said the 98 MW / 196 MWh project is Europe’s largest to date by MWh, marking another milestone in the fast-growing energy storage industry.

The Pillswood project uses 2-hour Tesla Megapack technology systems and, according to the Harmony Energy Income Trust, can store enough energy for around 300,000 UK homes for two hours.

The company said the project would provide vital grid balancing services, boosting energy security and enabling the replacement of coal and gas-fired power stations with renewables as the UK moves towards net zero emissions.

The project is located near Hull, East Yorkshire, next to National Grid’s Creyke Beck substation, which is planned to be the connecting point between phases ‘A’ and ‘B’ of Dogger Bank, the world’s largest offshore wind farm – the first phase of which is expected to be operational in the summer of 2023.

According to Harmony Energy Income Trust, BESS projects will enable National Grid to maximize the efficiency of new wind farms by reducing the time it takes for a wind farm to be shut down or curtailed due to supply-demand imbalances or grid constraints.

The project was developed by Harmony Energy Limited and Tesla managed the construction of the project. The project was originally planned to launch in two phases in December 2022 and March 2023, but Harmony said the schedule was accelerated to launch both phases in November 2022.

The project will be done through Autobidder, Tesla’s algorithmic trading platform, which managed the Holes Bay and Contengo projects, which were also developed by Harmony Energy Limited.

Peter Kavanagh, director of Harmony Energy Advisors Limited, described the completion and commissioning of the Pillswood project as a “significant” milestone, marking the first development in the company’s portfolio to receive energy.

“Battery energy storage systems are essential to unlock the full potential of renewable energy in the UK,” he added. “These projects are not supported by taxpayer subsidies, but can offer shareholders attractive returns in a variety of market conditions.”

Kavanagh added that the company has five more energy storage systems currently under construction with start-up dates in October 2023, as well as three more projects in development that, if acquired, would increase its total portfolio to total capacity. 500 MW/1 GWh.

Harmony Energy Income Trust said it will soon invite shareholders and other key stakeholders to view the Pillswood project in early 2023.

In further battery storage news, EDF Renewables UK has announced plans to develop a 114MW battery energy storage system south of Norwich at a substation located between Dunstan and Swainsthorpe.

Martin Cole, director of planning at EDF Renewables UK, said the batteries help secure the grid in the future and cost-effectively integrate more renewable energy sources.

“As more of our lives are powered by electricity – from heating to cars – our energy system is changing,” he said. “More renewable electricity will lower bills and increase energy security.”

EDF Renewables UK is holding a public consultation on the draft plans from 21 November to 12 December 2022. It intends to submit a planning application to South Norfolk Council in 2023.