UK Increases Battery Storage Pipeline by Two-Thirds Over Past Year

The UK’s battery storage project pipeline has expanded by two-thirds in the last year, according to RenewableUK. The industry group’s latest EnergyPulse Energy Storage report reveals an increase from 57.1GW to 95.6GW, a growth of 67.4% or 38.5GW. This marks the second consecutive year of such significant growth.

The total pipeline includes operational projects, those under construction, those that have received consent and those in planning stages. Most capacity is yet to be built. Specifically, 30.4GW has received consent, another 30.4GW is in early development stages, 4.4GW is operational and 4.3GW is under construction.

Additionally, the size of individual battery storage projects has been increasing. The average capacity of projects submitted for planning approval has risen from 27MW in 2019 to 80MW today, a 196% increase.

The battery storage industry is advancing technologically to support the UK’s energy transition by storing renewable electricity and addressing intermittency issues associated with wind and solar power. Despite the progress, further acceleration is needed to meet the UK government’s battery strategy goals.

The government’s strategy, published in late 2023, projects a need for around 6GWh of grid storage capacity by 2040. Although this represents a small portion of overall battery demand, with the majority expected from the transport sector, grid-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) are considered essential for the energy transition.

RenewableUK’s director of future electricity systems, Barnaby Wharton, emphasised the crucial role of batteries in balancing electricity supply and demand. He noted that, despite the uptake in projects, the UK is far from achieving the 55 GW of short-term flexibility required by 2035, as per the government’s Review of Electricity Market Arrangements.

Wharton called for measures to expedite battery storage project approvals and grid connections. He highlighted that co-locating battery projects with onshore wind and solar farms can reduce electricity system costs and benefit consumers. Improvements in the planning system and financial support reforms could significantly lower the costs of building and operating battery projects.