Thrive completes 20MW battery deal – our largest to date

News

07 Feb 2022

Contracts have now been signed for the construction and delivery of the battery and associated works, with construction expected to start in the Spring.

Article written by alex.lomax

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We have now completed the procurement of a 20MW battery for Feeder Road in Bristol – our largest electricity storage project to date.

The site has the capacity to deliver 1.5 hours or 30 MWh of electricity to the national and local grid, connecting enough capacity to power 14,771 typical UK homes.

The project brings together a number of Bristol-based businesses including developer, Aura Power, as well as renewables consultancy, Everoze, which is acting as a technical advisor.

G2 Energy has been awarded the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract, while Trina Storage will be supplying the physical battery system.

“We recognise the huge role battery storage has to play in supporting renewables on the UK’s net zero journey, which is why we’ve made our biggest battery investment to date in Feeder Road. As a Bristol-based business, we’re proud to be investing in its future, helping the city to move towards a greener energy system and creating work for local people as part of a just transition.”

Monika Paplaczyk, Investment Director, Thrive Renewables

With gas prices soaring, storage projects like Feeder Road have a huge role to play in the future energy system, ensuring the electricity from renewable sources such as wind and solar, which is significantly cheaper than gas, is available at peak times when it is most needed.

Battery projects work by storing electricity when it’s at its cheapest and most abundant – for example, when the wind is blowing or sun is shining – and releasing it when consumer demand peaks. Once operational, Feeder Road will take part in half-hourly capacity market auctions, providing frequency response and balancing services to the National Grid and local distribution network. This need has historically been met by gas and diesel fuelled power stations.

Feeder Road is the second battery project in Thrive’s portfolio, with our 5MW site – Wicken – commissioned in December and already delivering 1.49 hours or 7.45MWh of electricity to the national and local electricity grid. Our portfolio now spans the clean technology mix, featuring onshore wind, hydro, solar, geothermal and renewable heat in addition to Wicken and Feeder Road.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Thrive on another battery project, helping to build vital flexibility for the electricity grid and enabling more renewable power to be used both locally and further afield.”

Kelvin Ruck, Managing Director, G2 Energy

“I’m smiling because it’s brilliant to reach this milestone at Feeder Road, especially as RADE has been involved from the very start of the process. We initially formed to fight the development of a diesel-fuelled STOR plant at the same location, before supporting Aura Power in its proposals to develop a clean storage asset. We’re big believers in clean energy and the role these technologies have to play in Bristol’s sustainable future so we’re really excited to work closely with Thrive as it moves into the construction phase.”

Stuart Phelps, Core Member at Residents Against Dirty Energy (RADE)