NatPower to build UK's first battery storage with maritime electrification infrastructure

Renewable energy project developer NatPower has set out to build the UK’s first battery storage facility combined with maritime electrification infrastructure, Teesside GigaPark.

To this end, NatPower UK has signed an agreement with Sembcorp Utilities (UK), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sembcorp Energy UK, for a 32-acre site at Wilton International in Redcar to deliver a 1GW / 8GWh lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS).

The £1 billion Tesside GigaPark is described as one of the UK’s highest-capacity and longest-duration projects and the first to combine utility-scale grid storage with dedicated port electrification infrastructure.

NatPower expects the facility to power industry and ports, enable marine electrification, create 200 construction jobs, provide long-term skilled employment, and invest £2 million annually into the local community.

Fully privately financed, the Teesside GigaPark will operate at four hours’ storage capacity (4GWh) initially, with potential to double to eight hours (8GWh).

The project holds a 1GW connection agreement with the National Energy System Operator for a 400kV connection to National Grid’s substation. NatPower will build