Quinbrook, E.ON to co-develop 230MW/ 460MWh BESS in South Wales

Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners recently announced its partnership with E.ON to construct a 230 MW/ 460 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) facility consisting of two units of 230 MWh and an output of 115 MW at Uskmouth in South Wales of United Kingdom. 

E.ON, one of Europe's largest operators of energy networks and infra developer, will acquire 50 percent of the project capacity, i.e one of the two battery storage units, and jointly invest in the construction of the battery storage project meant for balancing energy and use in wholesale market. 

Claimed as one of the largest battery storage projects under construction in the UK today, Quinbrook acquired the exclusive development rights for the project in June 2022 and commenced developmental works since then. The construction works had started in November 2023, and the project is expected to be operational by the first quarter of 2025.

Keith Gains, Managing Director and UK Regional Lead for Quinbrook, commented, "E.ON shares our commitment to sustainable development goals and recognises the meaningful impact that large scale regeneration projects like Uskmouth, a former coal power station stockyard, can make to the delivery of the Government's Levelling Up ambitions". 

"We are pleased to welcome E.ON as a partner and look forward to working together to complete construction of this milestone project, which will be a key contributor to achieving the UK's net zero targets", he added.

Quinbrook's affiliate Private Energy Partners undertook the detailed design and project development phases, led equipment procurement and will manage construction for the project on behalf of the joint venture.

"Quinbrook sees the energy transition as an opportunity for sustainable development and growth and hence is an ideal partner for us", said Nadia Jakobi, CEO E.ON Energy Markets. "The energy transition is about more than climate protection. It's about keeping energy prices affordable and creating security of supply while staying competitive".

"Flexible large-scale storage solutions play a key role in achieving this goal. This is where E.ON intends to invest in the future. We are pleased to take an important step in this direction with the project in Uskmouth. Further projects are planned in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands", added Nadia.

Battery storage systems help utilities like E.ON to better mitigate price fluctuations in the electricity market, and in turn, benefits customers through lower costs. As renewable energy sources continue to expand, their integration requires a comprehensive flexibilization of the electricity infrastructure using battery storage systems to ensure secure and stable supply of energy.