Pivot Power has announced two new large-scale battery storage facilities for grid balancing and EV charging, to be built in Luton and Cornwall.
Known as Energy Superhubs, the 50 MW/100 MWh lithium-ion battery facilities will be based on an existing model that has Pivot Power already deployed in Oxford† The Sundon, Luton and Indian Queens, Cornwall sites will be connected to local National Grid substations, which will store power during times of high generation and low demand, then release it when needed.
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The Energy Superhubs are also specifically designed for charging electric vehicles and are located near transportation arteries. Once the hubs are connected to the grid, Pivot Power plans to develop a private wire network to support multiple fast-charging locations within a five to ten mile radius.
“Today’s energy infrastructure is not equipped to support the massive transition to renewables that we must see in the coming decades,” said Matt Allen, CEO of Pivot Power, which is part of EDF Renewables†
“Grid flexibility is essential to future-proof our electricity system and to deliver safe, affordable and low-carbon energy. Pivot Power’s smart energy infrastructure will help manage the intermittent nature of renewables and improve the resilience of the UK’s electricity system. By working closely with municipalities, we will help create a smarter, more flexible network and accelerate the path to net zero.”
Pivot Power has plans to roll out up to 2 GW of transmission-connected battery storage in the coming years, with 10 GW implemented globally by 2035. National Grid says the UK will need more than 25 GW of storage by 2050 to power the masses of intermittent renewables to decarbonise the energy system.
Pivot Power’s Luton Superhub is expected to begin construction in early 2023, with the goal of connecting to National Grid’s Sundon Substation later that year. In Indian Queens, Pivot Power will share a network connection with two other developers, including Renewable Connections, a UK-based renewable energy company, which has submitted a joint planning application with Pivot. Both companies have been approved for a battery of 50 MW/100 MWh each for construction and connection to the national grid by 2024. Pivot Power will also add a private wire network once the battery is live, which will bolster EV charging infrastructure in Cornwall .
“The Indian Queens approval is particularly important to us as it represents an important milestone in the collaboration between developers and grid operators,” said John Leith, director of development at Renewable Connections.
“We have worked closely with Pivot Power and National Grid to design and approve a combined battery storage facility suitable for connection to the end of the transmission network in Cornwall. And in conjunction with Pivot Power’s private cable to support the rollout of electric vehicle charging, Renewable Connections is developing a private cable system to connect to one of its solar power generation assets in Cornwall. This means that not only can our battery storage resource provide network services and improve resilience, but it can also do so by using locally produced renewable energy which reduces emissions and reduces dependency on imported power in Cornwall.”
