26 February 2021
This month, Pivot Power, part of EDF Renewables, successfully energised the point of connection to the transmission network for what is set to be the world’s largest hybrid battery storage system, on the outskirts of Oxford. This is a major milestone for Energy Superhub Oxford, which is connecting the giant battery directly to National Grid’s high voltage electricity network. Pivot Power can now continue with the installation and commissioning of the battery equipment as it works towards commercial operation in early Q2.
The hybrid battery will combine the high-power capabilities of a 50MW/50MWh lithium-ion battery with the heavy-cycling, non-degrading characteristics of a 2MW/5MWh vanadium flow battery. The project aims to demonstrate how the strengths of each technology can be leveraged to support more renewables, increase grid resiliency and help create a smarter, more flexible system.
Huge progress has been made in other areas too, with a total of 7,128 lithium-ion battery modules installed in readiness for go-live.
Battery storage is a critical part of the UK’s programme to decarbonise the UK’s electricity system. National Grid forcasts suggest that by 2050 the UK could need between 20-40GW of battery storage, up from just 1GW today. Pivot Power has plans to develop grid-scale battery storage coupled with power infrastructure for rapid electric vehicle charging at 40 sites UK-wide, which will deliver up to 2GW of flexible capacity and help to accelerate a net zero future.