Wärtsilä, a technology company, will supply Pivot Power, a subsidiary of EDF Renewables, with 100MW / 200MWh of energy storage systems for its next two projects in the West Midlands, England, to support the roll-out of Pivot Power’s revolutionary Energy Superhub concept. Wärtsilä will instal batteries in two locations: Coventry and Sandwell, on the outskirts of Birmingham.
Wärtsilä has already delivered 100MW of energy storage for two Pivot Power projects: Energy Superhub Oxford (ESO), for which Wärtsilä is providing 50MW of energy storage systems, and Kemsley, Kent. In collaboration with Invinity Energy Systems, the ESO project will contain the world’s largest lithium-ion and vanadium-flow hybrid grid-scale energy storage system. The hybrid battery is contributing to the building of a high-powered EV charging network that will distribute power to critical places across the city, as well as sharing a connection to the high-voltage electricity transmission network.
Pivot Power, a subsidiary of EDF Renewables, aims to speed the transition to a net-zero energy future in which clean energy fuels our lives. It is collaborating with local governments to assist them in meeting their climate and clean air pledges, so that people may live and work in cleaner, more sustainable communities.
The United Kingdom provides an excellent market opportunity for energy storage. According to Wärtsilä research, income received by energy storage companies in the UK increased by 21% during the first coronavirus lockdown in 2020. The volatile market conditions during the lockdown demonstrated what the UK’s energy system could look like when more renewable energy is deployed and supported by energy storage.