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The Skelmersdale site will use Tesla's lithium-ion battery technology, Megapack. Image: Tesla, Inc.
Specialist international investment manager Amber Infrastructure Group has reached commercial close on the development of a 50MW/100MWh utility-scale battery energy storage project in west Lancashire.
The project will use Megapack, Tesla’s large-scale lithium-ion battery technology, for the site near Skelmersdale.
It is expected to be operational before the end of 2022, and Amber – which has also managed the project development and funding – will be responsible for the asset management of the battery.
The battery will be optimised using Tesla’s autonomous trading platform Autobidder, which will allow the asset to play into a number of grid balancing services. Going forwards, Amber said the parties expect to bring forward similar projects, targeting an additional 200MW/400MWh.
“We are pleased to begin construction on this significant new battery project in collaboration with Tesla,” said Giles Frost, chairman of Amber Infrastructure Group. “The project is well timed and well located to support the ongoing changes in the UK’s energy mix.
“This investment also complements Amber’s other investments in the sustainable energy space which encompass the range of renewable energy generation, transport and storage. ”
The UK now has a pipeline of more than 14GW of battery projects at various stages of development and more than 1.2GW of lithium-ion battery storage online.