1. Project includes 96MW of wind power and 20MW battery energy storage system co-located to maximize grid connection use.
2. Construction to start in 2026 for commercial operation date in 2027.
3. Battery storage will reduce energy curtailment, provide grid stability, and help smooth out wind power generation peaks and troughs.
A project combining 96MW of wind power with a 20MW battery energy storage system (BESS) is set to start construction in 2026 for commercial operation in 2027. The storage capacity of the BESS in megawatt-hours (MWh) has not been disclosed. Co-locating the BESS with the wind farm will maximize the use of the grid connection, reduce energy curtailment, and provide grid stability.
Scotland has plentiful wind power capacity, but existing grid infrastructure struggles to handle it, leading to expensive curtailment. BESS developer-operator Field estimates that energy storage could reduce spending on curtailment by 80%. Co-locating a BESS with wind will smooth out generation peaks and troughs, providing a more predictable power stream to the grid.
Challenges with co-locating BESS with wind include heavier and less predictable cycling of the BESS, which could negatively impact battery cell degradation. The size of the BESS relative to the wind plant is in line with other large independent power producers, aiming for about 10% of the wind plant’s size. ESB recently inaugurated a 75MW/150MWh BESS project in Ireland, the country’s largest.