Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) has started commercial operations at its battery energy storage facility (BESS) in Stockport – its first completed project under a GBP1 billion (US$1.34 billion) UK battery energy storage investment commitment.
The Stockport plant, on Welkin Road, has a capacity of 20 megawatts (MW)/40 megawatt-hours (MWh) – enough clean electricity to power 20,000 homes for more than two hours.
Masdar is also developing two new BESS projects in Cardiff and Chesterfield, both of which are much larger than Stockport. They will have a combined capacity of 150MW and 300MWh, and can power more than 35,000 UK homes throughout the day.
Masdar acquired Arlington Energy in 2022 and committed to investing GBP1 billion in a 3GWh pipeline of BES projects in the UK, where the government aims to build up to 27GW of battery storage by the end of this decade under the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan. Construction started on the Stockport project in May 2024.
Husain Al Meer, Masdar Director, Global Offshore Wind & UK, commented: “Today’s announcements show that we are accelerating our progress towards delivering our GBP1 billion pipeline.
“BESS is vital in helping the UK transform its energy systems, unlocking the deployment of renewables, and delivering tangible benefits to consumers, businesses, and local communities. Masdar is proud to be at the forefront of this sector in the UK and beyond.”
Reinforcing grids with stored energy
BESS solutions balance and stabilize intermittent power supplies from renewables, providing flexible power to the grid by storing power in periods of low demand and releasing it in periods of high. This flexibility improves grid stability and energy security, supports the integration of renewable energy, and contributes to reducing consumer bills and carbon emissions.
Built to international safety and security standards, BESS projects in Masdar include modern fire detection and suppression systems, with 24-hour CCTV monitoring and local response capabilities.
Projects do more than just store energy.
The Welkin Road factory in Stockport is located on a previously developed brownfield site. The biodiversity of the area was enhanced during construction. A public fund will also be established to contribute money to local costs.
The Chesterfield project, in Calow Green, will sit on land that was used for coal mining and will transform the area. The project will respect the agricultural nature of the area while also aiming for the best use of the environment.
The Cardiff project is also on a brownfield industrial site, on Ipswich Road, repurposing disused land and avoiding the need for green space development, while making good use of established facilities and access routes.
Masdar’s major UK projects include a GBP5.2 billion (US$6.95 billion) joint investment with Iberdrola in the 1.4GW East Anglia THREE offshore wind farm, which will provide enough power for 1.3 million British homes, and the 3GW Dogger Bank South offshore wind farm in partnership with RWE.
In October, Masdar also stood out in Abu Dhabi for the world’s first gigascale 24/7 solar and battery storage project, which will have a 5.2GW solar plant, combined with a 19GWh BESS. It will be the largest and most technologically advanced system of its kind in the world, and deliver up to 1GW of base power every day.
