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InterGen’s Gateway battery storage project on the Thames Estuary has been awarded a 15-year agreement to supply the UK with power in the Government’s recent Capacity Market auction, run by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to ensure a reliable supply across the grid at lowest cost to customers.
The award represents a significant milestone for the c.£200 million project which first gained planning consent from BEIS in November 2020. Construction will commence in 2023 and the project will initially provide a minimum of 320MW of decarbonised electricity to over 300,000 homes and businesses, with the potential to grow to 450MW.
Set to be one of the UK and Europe’s largest, the battery can react quickly to meet excess demand for power from the electricity grid. This will provide much-needed flexibility for the UK’s increasingly decarbonised energy system on the journey to net zero.
The share of wind and solar power is increasing in the UK’s energy mix, but these sources only generate power when the wind blows or the sun shines. The use of batteries to store the excess power generated can help provide low carbon power to balance supply and demand with renewable power during periods of low output.
InterGen is also developing further largescale battery projects including at its site in Spalding, Lincolnshire, which could provide up to 550MW / 1,100MWh in capacity.
“We are delighted with the result of the Capacity Market auction, which represents a big step forward for our Gateway storage project and for the country’s net zero target. Our mission is to deliver the flexible electricity solutions that everyone can rely on in a low carbon world and battery storage helps us do this,” said InterGen CEO, Jim Lightfoot.
“We are excited to be entering a new phase in the project’s development and will continue to explore opportunities to support the energy transition,” he added
