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In July Tesla Megapack and Tesla Autobidder AI entered the UK market. Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) and Harmony Energy have joined forces to launch their first UK battery system. This week, for the first time in the UK, a project using giant Tesla Inc. batteries was used to help balance supply and demand in Britain’s electricity market.
The project using six Tesla Megapack batteries, with a combined capacity of 15 Mwh, make this development one of the largest battery energy storage plants in the South of the UK. It will take advantage of the Tesla Autobidder AI software.
The cost of balancing the power market surged this summer as the effects of the coronavirus pandemic reduced supply and made usage harder to predict. National Grid spent 718 million pounds ($932 million) balancing the network from March to July to cope with low demand and high supply of renewable generation—39% higher than usual, according to BNN Bloomberg.
A new computer system used by National Grid has allowed burgeoning technologies like batteries to be used in the balancing market more easily. The 7.5-megawatt Holes Bay energy storage plant in Dorset in southwest England is operated by Fotowatio Renewable Ventures BV and Harmony Energy Ltd.
National Grid is trying to “open the market to a wider range of providers and technologies, increase competition for balancing services and bring better value for consumers – and it will take us a step closer to being able to operate the grid with zero carbon by 2025,” said Roisin Quinn, head of national control and chief engineer at National Grid electricity system operator.
Source: Solar Power Portal
Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) is a leading global developer of renewable energy solutions for a cleaner and more sustainable future. FRV’s business goal is to become a recognized leader and driver of the democratization of the renewable energy market.
Harmony Energy is a Yorkshire based independent developer of renewable energy assets. The company is focused on building, owning, and operating renewable assets from 500kW to 16MW across the UK to serve local businesses and the National Grid.
Peter Kavanagh, chief executive officer of Harmony Energy, said utility-scale battery energy storage is “critical to the future of the UK’s energy supply.”
It is “often seen as the missing link in the UK’s renewable energy strategy, both in terms of controlling grid frequency and providing backup during periods of peak demand and supply. We’re delighted to have worked closely with FRV and Tesla to complete this project, which is the first in our pipeline of battery energy storage plant to be built in the UK.”
© 2020, Eva Fox. All rights reserved.
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About the Author
Eva Fox
Eva Fox joined Tesmanian in 2019 to cover breaking news as an automotive journalist. The main topics that she covers are clean energy and electric vehicles. As a journalist, Eva is specialized in Tesla and topics related to the work and development of the company.
