TOO many battery energy storage system (BESS) project's are applying for approval — with energy capacity now totalling more than double the national grid’s requirement for 2030, new analysis has found.
It comes as the National Energy System Operator (NESO) is seeking to reform how battery storage system project approval is granted as the queue overflows with developers and gigawatts (GW).
The operator reported a significant backlog of battery energy storage projects awaiting grid connection in the UK in January and to manage the backlog, and remove the "zombie" proposals, NESO paused all new grid connection applications.
Now, analysis by Cornwall Insight, shows the total capacity of projects across the UK has reached approximately 61 GW by 2030, which is more than double the UK Government's target of up to 27 GW of battery storage capacity by that year.
By 2035, the queue expands to 129 GW, exceeding the required 29 GW.
A number of factors have led to the increase in applications, with the primary being cost decrease.
The industry has seen sharp decreases in the cost of batteries since 2010 — lithium-ion batteries are down more than 90%.
However, there are no government regulations about who can build and manage the sites.
Proposals for grid connection reform have been approved by Ofgem, so that the connections process and entry to the reformed connections queue should be based on a combination of project "readiness" and "strategic alignment".
Matt Vickers, director of connections reform for NESO, said the transitional arrangement is “critical” to delivering the planned reforms.
He added: “To reorder the queue, we need to start from a stable base. This short pause in applications will allow us to work with colleagues across the network companies to prepare for the new processes we need to bring forward the electricity projects needed for the delivery of clean power by 2030 and beyond.”
However, analyst at Cornwall Insight James Lomax said the connection queue was "a major hurdle" to 2030 clean power goals.
Lomax said: "Ofgem’s minded-to decision on approving NESO’s connection reform plan gives clarity on the process that will be used to determine which projects move forward and which do not.
He added: "However, given the rapid expansion of battery energy storage over and above forecast connections capacity, it could well be that more than 100GW of BESS that wants to connect to the network will not get the option to. If an asset can’t connect to the grid, it simply can’t contribute.”
Giles Hanglin, chief executive officer at BESS developer Apatura, argued: “The UK simply can’t afford to delay planned battery storage projects in the connection queue. While the queue is oversubscribed, the key differentiator must be project readiness — priority should be given to those with exclusive land rights, advanced planning status, and consent.
“Battery storage is critical to rewiring and upgrading the UK’s energy system to harness its vast renewable resources, support CP30’s ambition of a fully decarbonised power system and achieve greater energy independence and security. Without investment in energy storage, the UK risks falling behind in the race to decarbonise and compete in emerging industries and technologies—including AI.”
