Oxford one of two locations on track to deliver 50 MW of energy storage thanks to Pivot Power

By Nicky Godding

27 February 2020

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Pivot Power, which is developing a world-first national network of grid-scale batteries and high-volume power connections to provide essential capacity for rapid electric vehicle (EV) charging, has placed an order with technology group Wärtsilä to deliver 100 MW of energy storage in the UK.

Pivot Power's two projects at Cowley in Oxford and Kemsley in Kent are expected to be fully operational before the end of this year.

Pivot Power, an EDF Renewables company specialising in battery storage and infrastructure for electric vehicle charging, has placed an order with technology group Wärtsilä which will deliver 100 MW of energy storage in the UK.

Along with a consortium of partners, Pivot Power is also building a new £41 million Energy Superhub to be built in Oxford, providing a model for cities around the world to cut carbon and improve air quality.

The Energy Superhub Oxford (ESO) project will showcase cutting-edge electric vehicle charging, energy storage systems, and low carbon heating, plus smart energy management technologies to support Oxford City Council’s journey to zero carbon. A multi-million pound award from the UK’s innovation agency, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), will accelerate delivery timescales for the project.

Using innovative new battery technology, ESO aims to deliver 20,000 tonnes of CO2 per year saving by 2021, rising to 44,000 tonnes per year by 2032.

The order with Wärtsilä will deliver two 50 MW lithium-ion batteries, and The Oxford and Kent projects will be the first to be completed as part of Pivot Power’s programme to develop, own and operate up to 2GW of grid-scale energy storage and high volume power connections which are directly connected to the UK high-voltage transmission system. The projects will provide flexible capacity and reliability to support increased renewable energy generation and EV charging infrastructure.

This is the largest energy storage deal in Europe for Wärtsilä, which has set its sights on the UK as a key new market, as part of its plan to lead the global transition towards a 100% clean energy future.

Adrien Lebrun, Pivot Power’s Engineering Director said: “At Pivot Power we are committed to enabling a clean electric future and accelerating the expansion of electric vehicles across the UK, and as part of EDF Renewables we are making this vision a reality. 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.”

The systems are based on Wärtsilä’s advanced energy management software platform GEMS, which leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to enable the intelligent management of large-scale energy storage systems, and innovative GridSolv modular storage solution, which supports stand-alone energy storage deployments and integrated hybrids with thermal or renewable generation assets. Wärtsilä’s solutions can be dynamically adjusted according to the demands of the markets across multiple revenue streams and can optimise a fleet of assets for best results.

Andrew Tang, Vice President, Energy Storage and Optimisation, Wärtsilä Energy Business, said: “We believe that a clean energy future for the UK is not just possible, it is deliverable. These exciting projects will support a cost-effective, reliable and low-carbon energy system and promote the rapid adoption of clean transport in the UK. These pioneering energy storage projects highlight the capabilities of GridSolv and GEMS to provide flexible energy services in the energy market.”

The contract is the first to be announced since EDF Renewables acquired Pivot Power in November 2019. It forms part of EDF Group’s Electricity Storage Plan under which it aims to be the leader in Europe with 10GW of additional storage by 2035. It also supports EDF Electric Mobility Plan, to become the leading electric mobility company by 2022 in the UK, France, Italy and Belgium. Beyond this 2022 date, the Group’s goal is to provide power for 600,000 electric vehicles and 75,000 charging points.

By Nicky Godding

Nicky Godding is editor of The Business Magazine. Before her journalism career, she worked mainly in public relations moving into writing when she was invited to launch Retail Watch, a publication covering retail and real estate across Europe.

After some years of constant travelling, she tucked away her passport and concentrated on business writing, co-founding a successful regional business magazine. She has interviewed some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs who have built multi-million-pound businesses and reported on many science and technology firsts.

She reports on the region’s thriving business economy from start-ups, family businesses and multi-million-pound corporations, to the professionals that support their growth and the institutions that educate the next generation of business leaders.