EDF Renewables UK & Ireland

The UK has an ambitious goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to be net-zero by 2050. Together with EDF Renewables UK and Ireland (formerly Pivot Power), Wärtsilä teamed up to help the country reach this decarbonisation target. Wärtsilä’s innovative energy storage technology supports the world’s largest hybrid and the UK’s first transmission-connected energy storage and electric vehicle (EV) charging hub. The partnership EDF Renewables accelerates the uptake of low-carbon transport and integrates more renewable power into the National Grid.

Wärtsilä’s total portfolio with EDF Renewables now include six energy storage projects with sites in Kemsley, Cowley, Coventry, Bustleholme, Sundon and Bramford. The storage systems are deploying cutting-edge storage technology including the GEMS Digital Energy Platform and will:

• Integrate renewable generation cost-effectively
• Help enhance the reliability of the UK’s electricity system
• Support EDF Renewables in their roll-out of the innovative Energy Superhub model to enable a rapid electric vehicle (EV) charging network across the country

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 EDF Renewables
• This is the first project to go live as part of EDF Renewables’ planned deployment of 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.

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.

We will deliver a new grid-scale energy storage facility in Sundon, Bedfordshire, UK. The 50 MW / 100 MWh project, which will form part of a new Energy Superhub in the region, will help to support the transition to a decarbonised electricity system and accelerate the UK’s net zero future.

The integration of grid-scale batteries with the charging stations provides grid balancing services, plus the sophisticated GEMS software focuses on performance optimisation for both renewable—energy storage and EV charging stations—and traditional power sources. These systems provide several services—such as frequency regulation—and for each service, generate a different value stream. GEMS’ data-based intelligence optimises the suite of ancillary services to support the grid, and in doing so, helps generate revenue, enabling EDF Renewables to benefit from multiple revenue streams, while also supplying balancing services for the UK National Grid.

The deployment of these systems showcases Wärtsilä’s competencies in optimising energy systems and combining multiple power generation assets into a flexible and reliable solution that can dynamically adjust according to the demands of the market, optimising the energy produced. As the global market, and, in particular UK clean energy goals, moves towards more flexible and sustainable energy systems, storage will continue to provide the needed flexibility and reliability to support renewables and their integration.