Pivot Power_Cowley_engineers
Pivot Power + Wärtsilä

Reference case

Energy storage accelerates a clean electric future in the UK

The UK has an ambitious goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to be net-zero by 2050. Wärtsilä and Pivot Power, part of EDF renewables, teamed up to help the country reach this target.

The energy storage projects in Cowley, Kemsley, Coventry and Bustleholme, deploying cutting-edge storage technology and our GEMS Digital Energy Platform will:

  • Help enhance the reliability of the UK’s electricity system
  • Cost-effectively integrate more renewable generation
  • Support the roll-out of Pivot Power’s innovative Energy Superhub model to enable a rapid EV charging network in the country
WhoPivot Power
What5 x 50 MW Energy storage system + GEMS digital energy platform
WhereUnited Kingdom
HowEEQ (Engineered equipment delivery)

 

This is what we are achieving

250 MW

and 400 MWh of energy storage capacity in total

These Wärtsilä energy storage systems allow us to harness cutting-edge technology to future-proof our investments in a changing energy market, supporting our long-term goal to reduce the UK’s carbon footprint and bring us closer to net zero.

Adrien Lebrun, Engineering Director at Pivot Power

How we did it

Challenge icon

Challenge

  • Facilitate the UK’s transition to net zero emissions by 2050
  • Increase capacity for renewable energy assets
  • Support an increase in energy demand from EVs

Solution icon

Solution

  • Wärtsilä’s GridSolv solutions: add reliability to the grid via sophisticated storage design
  • Wärtsilä’s GEMS Digital Energy Platform: monitors and controls energy deployment to optimise production and support grid reliability
Benefit icon

Benefit

  • Reduce carbon footprint in the UK
  • Future-proof assets under a single portfolio: the GEMS Digital Energy Platform optimises the operational value and energy performance for the system’s lifecycle.
  • Provide grid balancing services and reliability to the UK National Grid

    The main details

    CustomerPivot Power
    Size250 MW
    Site locationsCowley 50 MW / 50 MWh
    Kemsley 50 MW / 50 MWh
    Coventry 50 MW / 100 MWh
    Bustleholme 50 MW / 100 MWh
    Sundon 50 MW / 100 MWh
    ApplicationsBalancing services for the UK National Grid, including: Frequency response, Electricity market trading, Reactive power and EV charging services
    ScopeEngineered equipment delivery (EEQ)
    Lifecycle solution10-year service agreement with performance guarantees
    Delivery2020-2023
    COD2021-2023

     

    UK

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    Introducing flexibility solutions to support EV infrastructure

    In this Energy Transition Talks episode, Sushil Purohit, President of Wärtsilä Energy meets Matt Allen, CEO of UK-based battery storage and EV infrastructure developer, Pivot Power.

    With his team, Matt is spearheading the development of an underexplored topic: how electric vehicles (EV) can be integrated into the grid. This is where the joint energy storage projects of Pivot Power and Wärtsilä come in; they bring the needed flexibility for the EV infrastructure.

    Access all Energy Transition Talks episodes

      Cowley site

      The 50 MW / 50 MWh energy storage system in Cowley is the UK’s first grid-scale energy storage system directly connected to the transmission-network. The project is the first part of what will be the world’s largest hybrid energy storage system.

      • Integrates energy storage, electric vehicle (EV) charging, low carbon heating and smart energy management technologies to decarbonise Oxford by 2040, creating a blueprint for other towns and cities to achieve net zero
      • First portion of the £41 million government-backed Energy Superhub Oxford project led by Pivot Power
      • The first project to go live as part of Pivot Power’s plans to deploy up to 40 similar sites throughout the UK

      The system consists of Wärtsilä GridSolv Max systems and the GEMS Digital Energy Platform, which dynamically optimises energy systems and provides critical feedback to stakeholders across asset owner, operation and trading value chains.

      Kemsley site

      Kemsley

      In Kemsley, Kent, we are building a 50MW / 50 MWh energy storage facility connected to the high voltage transmission network. The Wärtsilä storage system will respond in milliseconds to fluctuations in electricity supply and demand, charging or discharging to keep the system stable.

      • Essential flexibility to future-proof UK’s electricity system
      • Support more intermittent renewable generation
      • Help the country achieve net zero

      The system consists of Wärtsilä GridSolv Max systems and the GEMS Digital Energy Platform, which dynamically optimises energy systems and provides critical feedback to stakeholders across asset owner, operation and trading value chains.

      Bustleholme

      Gridsolv Quantum and GEMS in Bustleholm

      The Bustleholme 50 MW / 100 MWh energy storage system will help to ensure clean, affordable and secure electricity supply when more renewables are integrated to the grid.

      Just like the Coventry system, it will also provide additional power capacity to support the installation of the electric vehicle (EV) charging network that will accelerate the transition to electric transport and enable ultra-rapid public charging hubs.

      The system consists of our Wärtsilä GridSolv Quantum modules, and the sophisticated GEMS Digital Energy Platform.

      Coventry

      Gridsolv Quantum and GEMS in Coventry

      The Coventry 50 MW / 100 MWh energy storage system will help to ensure clean, affordable and secure electricity supply when more renewables are integrated to the grid.

      It will also provide additional power capacity to support the installation of an electric vehicle (EV) charging network designed to accelerate the transition to electric transport. The network will enable ultra-rapid public charging hubs.

      The system consists of Wärtsilä’s GridSolv Quantum modules and the GEMS Digital Energy Platform that optimises the energy system.

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