RenewableUK has revealed that the total pipeline of battery projects (operational, under construction, consented or being planned) has increased from 57GW a year ago to 95GW.

 

It has grown by 38GW, 67.4%, in the past 12 months and it marks the second consecutive 12-month period in which the pipeline has increased by this percentage.

 

Operational battery storage capacity has risen to 4.4GW, and the capacity of projects under construction has reached 4.3GW.

A further 30.4GW has been consented, 26GW has been submitted in the planning system and 30.4GW is at an early stage of development but yet to be submitted.

 

The average capacity of projects being submitted for planning permission has risen from 27MW in 2019 to 80MW now – an increase of 53MW or 196%.

 

A 50MW battery of two hours duration (100MWh).

 

RenewableUK’s director of future electricity systems Barnaby Wharton said: “It’s great to see that, for the second year running, the UK’s battery storage pipeline has grown by two-thirds within the space of twelve months.

 

“The appetite among investors to enter this rapidly-growing market remains enormous.

 

“Batteries have a key role to play in ensuring that electricity supply always meets demand. While there has been significant uptake in projects, we are long way from delivering the 55GW of short-term flexibility by 2035 that the Government says we need in its Review of Electricity Market Arrangements.

 

“We have the potential to move much faster by speeding up the process of consenting and connecting vital energy storage projects to the grid.

 

“By improving the planning system and introducing reforms to financial support mechanisms to encourage more battery projects to co-locate at sites where clean electricity is generated, we can reduce the cost of building and running batteries significantly."

 

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