SSE Renewables has given the green light for the construction of a battery energy storage system (BESS) in Monk Fryston, Yorkshire, marking one of the UK’s largest BESS projects.
This 320MW/640MWh grid-scale battery represents SSE Renewables’ third BESS development to move forward, joining the ranks of its 50MW Salisbury and 150MW Ferrybridge BESS projects.
Construction is set to commence soon.
BESS projects like Monk Fryston, capable of operating for up to two hours, play a crucial role in storing energy for release to the UK national grid during peak demand periods.
This aids in more effectively balancing energy supply and demand and harnessing the potential of renewable technology even in less favourable weather conditions.
Finlay McCutcheon, Director of Onshore Renewables, SSE Renewables, said: “Taking a Final Investment Decision on our Monk Fryston project is another very exciting milestone for SSE Renewables and our solar and battery business, which now has four projects in delivery amounting to over half a gigawatt of new solar and battery capacity.
“We are continuing to take action at real pace to rapidly scale up both our installed renewable energy capacity and the associated large scale energy storage needed to support it, as is demonstrated by our diverse portfolio of projects across onshore and offshore wind, hydro and of course solar and battery.”
