Zenobē, the UK grid-scale battery storage firm, has announced that its energy storage system in Blackhillock, Scotland, has begun commercial operations.
The project will launch in two phases. The first phase, which has just gone live, comprises 200MW/400MWh. The second phase will follow in 2026 with a further 100MW, a total of 300MW/600MWh.
According to Zenobē, this is the equivalent of powering over three million homes, substantially more than all the households in Scotland, for one hour.
Promoted by the National Grid Electricity System Operator (NESO) in Scotland to improve the long-term stability of the electricity system, the project has been deliberately located between Inverness and Aberdeen to address grid congestion from Viking (443MW), Moray East (950MW) and Beatrice (588MW) offshore wind farms.
In this location, the battery storage system will provide stability services to help grid operators balance supply and demand, increase reliability and reduce constraints.
Fintan Slye,...