EDF’s Hams Hall battery energy storage system (BESS), currently under construction near Birmingham, is expected to begin operations by the end of 2026.
Energy firm EDF has partnered with global energy storage developer BW ESS on the first phase of the Hams Hall BESS, a 350MW/1,243MWh grid-scale battery capable of delivering power to 1.3 million homes for up to 3.5 hours.
The battery site, which will be connected to the nearby Hams Hall 400kV National Grid substation, will be EDF’s longest-duration battery contract to date.
According to EDF, such grid-scale batteries will play a growing role in helping to balance the UK electricity system as wind and solar generation expands. Batteries store excess energy when the wind blows and the sun shines, and then releases it when needed.
The system is controlled via EDF’s PowerShift platform, which manages when the battery charges and discharges in real time to help balance electricity supply and demand across the grid.
Stuart Fenner, wholesale market...