Wärtsilä Grabs 114MWh UK Storage Project From EDF Renewables

Technology major Wärtsilä has bagged EDF Renewables order to deliver a grid-scale energy storage system (ESS) in Bramford, UK having a capacity of 57 MW / 114 MWh. The ESS project will support the transition to a decarbonised electricity system and help achieve the UK’s net zero goals.

Wärtsilä said that the order was booked in the first quarter 2023 and is expected to be delivered in first quarter of 2024.

This is the technology firm’s sixth project with EDF Renewables UK and Ireland. With this, the energy storage portfolio of Wärtsilä in the UK now exceeds 1 GWh.

The new storage facility will be connected to the transmission network, enabling the integration of renewable energy into the grid.

The Bramford project will also be capable of supporting any future developments in electric vehicle (EV) charging and the electrification of public transport, like its sister project in Oxford, said Wärtsilä.

Gabriele Buccini, Senior Business Development Manager, Wärtsilä, said, “Whilst greater integration of renewables into the UK’s electricity grid is critical to supporting the transition to net zero, smart power infrastructure is needed to manage its intermittency and improve the resilience of the UK’s electricity system. That is exactly what the Bramford project is helping to do, and deliver cleaner, more reliable power to the country.”

Matthew Boulton, Director of Storage and Private Wire, EDF Renewables UK, said on Wärtsilä deal, “Our aim is to help create an energy system that is clean, affordable, and secure by providing valuable flexibility to support the integration of a greater amount of renewable energy.”

Wärtsilä will deliver its GridSolv Quantum system and sophisticated GEMS Digital Energy Management Platform for the project. GEMS will be the main controller for the entire ESS installation, including interfacing with the grid as well as external traders. The Bramford battery storage facility will be constructed near a planned solar farm, also being developed by EDF Renewables UK.

Other Projects 

In addition to Bramford, Wärtsilä’s existing projects with EDF Renewables include UK energy storage facilities delivered in 2021 in Oxford and Kent, and three additional projects under construction in Birmingham, Coventry and Sundon.