Zenobē, the UK’s leading grid-scale battery storage operator, has acquired a 400MW ready-to-build battery energy storage system (BESS) in Low Harker, Cumbria, from renewable energy and data centre developer Innova.
With a 2028 grid connection date, the Carlisle project is set to play a pivotal role in supporting Britain’s target of deploying 25GW of BESS capacity by 2030, up from the current 6GW. The acquisition underlines Zenobē’s strategy of focusing on large, transmission-connected sites above 200MW capacity.
Located near the Harker substation, the project will help address power flow constraints and provide inertia and reactive power services—key requirements for stabilising the grid as legacy plants such as Heysham nuclear station retire.
Beyond energy security, the development will deliver community benefits through funding agreements with Rockcliffe and Westlinton Parish Councils, Rockcliffe Community Centre, and The Country Trust, supporting local initiatives over the project’s lifetime.
Zenobē’s Global Director of Network Infrastructure, Semih Oztreves, hailed the acquisition as “another milestone in delivering the flexible, resilient energy infrastructure the UK needs to accelerate its transition to net zero.” He confirmed the company will soon outline its Route to Market and procurement strategy.
For Innova, which secured planning consent for the site in 2023, the deal reflects the company’s expertise in bringing forward high-quality transmission-connected BESS projects. “We’re confident it will play an instrumental role in supporting a more resilient energy system,” said Daniel Mushin, CIO, and Jon Sheppard, Investment Manager at Innova.
The transaction was advised by JLL (financial), TLT and Foot Anstey (legal advisors to Innova), while Zenobē received support from Pinsent Masons (legal) and Natural Power (technical).
Zenobē, which already operates 1.2GW of battery assets and has a major presence in the EV fleet sector, aims to reach 3.5GW / 12GWh of BESS capacity by 2030. Its experience with grid-forming inverters, as deployed at Blackhillock in Scotland, will allow the Carlisle site to provide multi-market “stacking” services—helping keep energy costs low, renewable power flowing, and lights on across the country.
