Thrive joins forces with aggregator, Flexitricity, on 20MW battery project in Bristol

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18 Aug 2022

The agreement will allow the lithium-ion BESS site to be monitored and dynamically optimised from Flexitricity’s 24/7 control room in Edinburgh.

Article written by alex.lomax

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With the groundwork underway at our 20MW battery project in Bristol, we’re pleased to share that we’ve signed an agreement with flexible energy specialist, Flexitricity, to aggregate and control the battery once on the grid.

A battery energy storage system (BESS) charges itself by taking energy from the grid or power plant e.g., a solar array and then discharging that energy later when needed. As we move towards a more renewables-based energy system, battery storage is becoming more critical. This is because it helps provide greater flexibility, enabling higher levels of renewable energy to be integrated onto the grid – i.e. storing energy when it’s really windy, for example, and releasing it when demand peaks.

Power from smaller MW batteries like our Feeder Road site can be combined (aggregated) so that they provide a larger storage resource. This is where software platforms, such as those provided by Flexitricity, become incredibly important as they help provide oversight of multiple batteries, ensuring that they work together to match the consumption demand of our towns and cities.

“This deal with Flexitricity demonstrates the potential of smaller battery projects to be optimised as part of a larger virtual power plant to provide a significant flexibility resource to the grid. This means ultimately, we can make better use of the abundant renewable resources available to us. Feeder Road is our second battery storage site and holds a special place in our hearts being based in our hometown. It is a great demonstration of Bristol’s place at the forefront of the UK energy transition. The project will also enable further deployment of wind and solar generation and will help to provide the backbone of the resilient, renewables dominated electricity grid the country needs going forward.”

Monika Paplaczyk, Investment Director, Thrive Renewables

Flexitricity pioneered the demand side response industry in Great Britain thirteen years ago and has added a host of grid scale and behind-the-meter battery storage projects to its ‘virtual power plant’ platform which aggregates multiple sites benefiting customers as well as the national energy system. Flexitricity has a contracted virtual power plant of over 800MW and this agreement pushes the contracted portfolio of batteries to over 330MW.

“Energy storage has a vital role to play in helping the UK transition to net zero and Flexitricity is ideally placed to maximise revenue for asset owners, enabling them to create a solid business case for investment in more green energy projects. Therefore, an agreement with Thrive, who are at the forefront of the renewable energy sector, brings great synergies and we are thrilled to have them onboard.”

Andy Lowe, CEO, Flexitricity