ESB/ANESCO PRESS RELEASE
18 June 2018
ESB has acquired a 7MWh battery storage site from renewables developer Anesco, marking the Irish utility’s first grid connected energy storage project in the UK and building upon its pipeline of low carbon, renewable technologies and smart energy solutions.
Mill Farm, located near Grantham, Lincolnshire, comprises of six battery storage containers. The project was funded and developed by Anesco, with its construction completed in just 12 weeks.
The site went live in April 2018 and it will support National Grid to help secure the security and quality of the UK’s power supply and marks the first time ESB has worked with Anesco.
Jim Dollard, executive director of ESB Generation & Wholesale Markets, commented: “ESB has been a leading independent generator in the UK for more than 25 years and the commercial operation at Mill Farm marks another important milestone for the company.
“The site will enable us to develop the technical, commercial and regulatory expertise in battery storage and flexible technologies. This will help to make electricity systems more stable and reliable, while allowing for enhanced performance and flexibility of our existing and future plant.”
The batteries at Mill Farm will be monitored by Anesco’s specialist O&M service, AnescoMeter who will ensure that they are operated to the highest technical and commercial standards.
Steve Shine, Anesco executive chairman, said: “We’re delighted to be working with ESB on this project – one that supports the utility’s commitment to moving towards a sustainable electricity system.
“The relationship has developed thanks to our unique ability to model long term revenue streams and prove the financial viability of energy storage for investors. As the UK’s largest and most established energy storage provider, we’ve been able to create the industry’s most accurate modelling tool. It can be used to predict whole life cost, IRR and long term revenue streams – all crucial information that sets us apart from every other developer in the country.”
He added: “Anesco’s pipeline is strong and continues to grow, as investors increasingly recognise the energy storage opportunity.”
Anesco currently has 29 operational sites, comprising of 76 individual battery units, providing a combined capacity of 87MW. With a healthy order book, the total capacity installed by the company is set to exceed 380MW by 2020. In September 2017, Anesco officially opened the UK’s first subsidy-free solar farm and the company remains the only renewable developer to have retrofit solar farms with energy storage.
For more information, please visit www.anesco.co.uk and www.esb.ie
ENDS
Notes to editors:
For more information please contact:
Paul Hand, Senior Press Officer, ESB, 00353 85 7256798, paul.hand@esb.ie
Nick Johnson, Communications Director, 07557 490001, nick.johnson@anesco.co.uk
About ESB
ESB is Ireland’s foremost energy company and the largest supplier of renewable electricity. Through innovation, expertise and investment, ESB is leading the way in developing a modern, efficient electricity system, capable of delivering sustainable and competitive energy supplies to our customers. Every day, ESB works for a better energy future by investing in low-carbon generating technologies in Ireland and Great Britain, building smarter electricity networks in Ireland and working with others to find innovative solutions to today’s energy challenges.
For 25 years, we have been supporting Britain’s transition to a low carbon future by investing in flexible and renewable generation assets, including the UK’s most efficient thermal power plant, wind and biomass technologies. ESB Energy recently launched its very competitive electricity and gas offerings to residential customers in Great Britain. For large energy users in the UK, ESB’s Smart Energy Services collaborates to dramatically reduce energy costs, carbon emissions and consumption. Building on its development of an interoperable cross-border system of public charging points on the island of Ireland, ESB is a winning bidder in a major Transport for London (TfL) tender process to provide rapid charging infrastructure and services for electric vehicles in London, including the iconic black cabs in the UK capital.
For further information, please visit: www.esb.ie/
About Anesco
Anesco is a global leader in renewable energy and recognised as one of the top cleantech companies in the world. It’s specialist team manages the funding, development, operation and maintenance of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.
As the UK market leader in energy storage, Anesco commands the industry’s most accurate revenue modelling tool and its portfolio is on track to exceed 380MW by the end of 2020. The company has constructed over 100 solar farms, while its O&M service, AnescoMeter, is monitoring over 21,500 sites.
Anesco was the first in the UK to achieve subsidy-free solar; first to introduce utility-scale energy storage; and first to co-locate energy storage with existing solar sites. To date, the technologies the company has deployed and managed are generating over 1GW of renewable energy.