BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 17. Abu Dhabi Future
Energy Company PJSC – Masdar, a global clean energy leader,
announced the start of commercial operations at its battery energy
storage system (BESS) facility in Stockport, marking the first
project under its £1 billion UK BESS investment plan, Trend reports
via Masdar.
The company also plans two additional BESS projects in Cardiff
and Chesterfield.
The Stockport facility, located on Welkin Road, has a capacity
of 20 megawatts (MW)/40 megawatt-hours (MWh), enough to store
electricity for 20,000 homes for over two hours. The Chesterfield
and Cardiff projects, with a combined capacity of 150 MW/300 MWh,
are expected to power more than 35,000 UK homes for a full day.
Construction on the Stockport site began in May 2024.
Following its acquisition of Arlington Energy in 2022, Masdar
committed £1 billion to a 3-gigawatt-hour (GWh) BESS pipeline in
the UK, supporting the country’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan,
which aims to build up to 27 GW of battery storage by the end of
the decade.
BESS technology helps balance intermittent renewable energy
supply by storing electricity during low demand and releasing it at
peak times, enhancing grid stability, energy security, and
integration of renewables, while lowering consumer bills and
emissions.
Masdar said its UK projects are built to international safety
standards, including fire detection and suppression systems,
24-hour CCTV monitoring, and local response capability. The
projects are also being developed in consultation with local
communities to deliver environmental and economic benefits.
The Stockport plant occupies a brownfield site, with
biodiversity enhancements including bird and bat boxes, Japanese
knotweed control, and native flora planting. A community fund will
support local initiatives. The Chesterfield site, on former coal
mining land, will transform the area into a clean energy hub while
preserving agricultural character. The Cardiff project is sited on
an industrial brownfield, avoiding new greenfield development and
utilising existing infrastructure efficiently.
