Global energy storage owner-operator BW ESS has secured debt financing for its 100MW / 331MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) located in Bramley, Hampshire. The funding comes through a joint facility from Westpac, Australia’s leading bank, and United Overseas Bank (UOB), headquartered in Singapore, with each contributing 50% to the debt facility.
The financing marks a significant milestone for the Bramley BESS, one of the UK’s longest duration and most flexible energy storage assets. The successful transaction followed a highly competitive financing process, underscoring the project’s technical credibility, strong long-term revenue potential, and strategic role in strengthening the UK’s energy grid.
The Bramley project is backed by a seven-year tolling agreement with Shell Energy Europe, the first of its kind in the UK. Since its commissioning in February 2025, it has emerged as one of the largest individual sources of energy storage capacity on the UK grid, surpassing expectations for both technical performance and revenue generation.
Marc Weisser, CFO of BW ESS, described Bramley as a “flagship asset” in the company’s expanding UK portfolio. “We were encouraged by the exceptionally high level of interest the project generated from the lending community. We couldn’t be happier with our final choice of partners. UOB and Westpac have shown strong commitment to advancing strategic BESS projects globally,” he said.
Sarah Heavey, Westpac’s Head of Energy, Infrastructure & Resources, highlighted the project’s importance: “This is a major step forward for long-duration energy storage in the UK, enhancing grid resilience as the nation accelerates its energy transition. We’re proud to support BW ESS on its first UK project and hope to replicate this success across Europe and Australia.”
Edmund Leong, Head of Group Corporate Banking at UOB, added, “This landmark green financing deal illustrates the power of sustainable finance to drive real impact. Bramley is a model for BESS project development globally, and we’re proud to support innovation that fosters a cleaner, more resilient future.”
This is BW ESS’s second major financing deal in recent weeks, following a loan agreement with Nordea Bank for its 211MWh Swedish BESS portfolio. The company’s strategy focuses on capital recycling to accelerate the development of its global pipeline, which spans the UK, Australia, Germany, Italy, and Sweden.
In the UK alone, BW ESS currently operates 331MWh of storage at Bramley, has 1.4GWh under construction at Hams Hall, 0.7GWh in pre-construction at Berkswell, and a 1GW development pipeline across five additional projects.
Legal advisors for the deal included CMS for BW ESS and Ashurst for the lenders. Everoze and Baringa served as technical and market advisors, respectively.
