Energy company AMP Clean Energy (AMP) will soon begin construction on several battery storage projects, featuring new long-duration batteries that allow renewable energy to be stored for up to four hours.
Urban Reserve Storage, backed by a £45m debt facility from Allianz Global Investors, comprises four projects, which, in combination, will be able to store 90MWh of electricity, using the latest high energy density lithium-ion cell produced by BYD, an energy technology company and EV manufacturer.
While most batteries deployed to date in the UK can store excess energy for one to two hours and are connected at high voltage levels, AMP is deploying four-hour batteries connected at 11kV and installed in urban areas.
This means they can be connected to local networks and respond quickly during times of high demand, discharging stored renewable electricity when and where it is needed most, including morning and evening peaks.
With long-duration energy storage seen as a key component of the UK’s net zero plans, Urban Reserve Storage will support the low carbon energy transition, helping the UK achieve its energy security and climate ambitions.
Mark Tarry, Chief Executive of AMP, comments, “To successfully move to a smarter energy future and support the rapid deployment of technologies such as electric vehicles and heat pumps, we need to see a significant increase in flexible assets alongside upgrading the capacity of networks. Increasing the amount of energy storage will be key to this, particularly when it comes to supporting the intermittency of renewable energy from wind and solar.
“Upgrading the grid infrastructure will take time and money. Flexible assets like the Urban Reserve Storage solution not only provide a market-leading duration time – at least twice as long as what is currently typically available – it will also connect to local networks so that renewable electricity is stored close to where it’s needed most. This means that more people will be able to lower their emissions by installing a heat pump or buying an EV without putting as much strain on the grid.”
Due to arrive online later in 2024, Urban Reserve Storage builds on AMP’s portfolio of natural gas peaking plants, which have provided flexible capacity to distribution networks during times of high demand and low wind for more than five years.
