The 35-megawatt (MW)/70-megawatt-hours (MWh) Rochdale plant will provide enough clean power for 35,000 homes per day, based upon two charging and discharging cycles per day. The facility will also provide critical grid balancing services, responding to fluctuations in supply and demand within milliseconds to help maintain a secure and reliable electricity network.
£1 billion investment in UK energy infrastructure
Following its acquisition of Arlington Energy in 2022, Masdar committed to developing a 3 gigawatt-hours (GWh) pipeline of BESS projects in the UK, one of the largest in the country. The portfolio will play a vital role in supporting the integration of renewables into the country’s energy mix and enhancing grid stability, with the aim of lowering consumer bills.
The investment is aligned with the UK government’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, which is targeting building up to 27GW of battery storage by the end of this decade.
Husain Al Meer, Executive Director, Global Offshore Wind & UK, Masdar said, "Beginning commercial operations at our Rochdale facility is a key milestone in our £1 billion commitment to UK battery storage. Our continuing rollout of our £1 billion pipeline reflects Masdar's long-term commitment to the UK and we are proud to be supporting the country's energy security by delivering the flexible infrastructure needed to enable greater renewable energy deployment."
The Rochdale project follows Masdar’s 20MW/40MWh Welkin Road project in Stockport beginning commercial operations last December. The company is also currently developing projects in Chesterfield and Cardiff, which will have a combined capacity of 150MW/300MWh. Project financing for the four projects was successfully completed last month, with Masdar securing up to £97 million from SMBC and ING.
Enhancing grid stability
BESS solutions are critical to integrating renewables into modern electricity networks, providing flexible energy to the grid by storing energy in periods of low demand and releasing it at peak times. This flexibility enhances grid stability and energy security, supports the integration of renewable energy, and contributes to lowering consumer bills and carbon emissions.
Built to international standards of safety and security, Masdar’s BESS projects incorporate state-of-the-art fire detection and suppression systems, with 24-hour CCTV monitoring and local response capability.
The company’s UK BESS projects are also being built in close consultation with local stakeholders to ensure they deliver positive impact to local communities as well as providing tangible national economic benefit.
