The Emirati state-owned renewables developer Masdar has begun commercial operations at its 20MW/40MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) in Stockport.
The project is the first to be completed under Masdar’s £1 billion commitment to invest in UK battery storage, made when it acquired UK-based BESS developer Arlington Energy in 2022. The company began construction of the Stockport BESS in 2024.
Masdar pledged a 3GWh UK BESS pipeline as part of its wider commitment to the UK’s energy transition. The energy management system arm of utility Octopus Energy, Kraken, will optimise Masdar’s UK pipeline.
The developer said it will now develop two more BESS projects, in Cardiff and Chesterfield, which will have a combined 150MW/300MWh capacity. The Cardiff project will be constructed on a brownfield site, while the Chesterfield site will redevelop land previously used for coal mining.
Masdar also has a €5.2 billion (£4.57 billion) co-investment with Iberdrola in the 1.4GW East Anglia THREE offshore wind facility and the 3GW Dogger Bank South offshore wind farm being developed in partnership with RWE.
In the United Arab Emirates, where Masdar is headquartered, it recently began construction of a gigascale solar and battery energy storage project, which will combine 5.2GW of solar PV with a 19GWh BESS. The project, representing an AED 232 billion (£47.26 billion) investment, is due to come online in 2027.