Battery storage firm Zenobē has reached a financial close on its 500 MegaWatt (MW) battery project in Wishaw, North Lanarkshire.
The company has begun construction of the battery unit, which it claims will be one of the largest in the UK.
Plans for the project are expected to go live by the end of 2022. The London-based business is promising to invest £500m over the next five years.
It will be the first in Scotland helping ease constraints directly from the transmission network, which is hoped to push down energy prices for consumers.
Zenobē has entered into a long-term floor contract with Centrica, which will see Centrica optimise the battery and open access to a variety of revenue streams for the asset.
Energy storage and service company Fluence has been appointed as the battery energy storage system supplier, while engineering firm H&MV was selected as the principal designer and contractor. The project is being financed by Santander UK.
Over the next 15 years, the site will generate 640 GigaWatts (GW) per hour of electricity and is forecast to remove 450,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, equivalent to taking 18,000 diesel and petrol cars off the road.
The battery will be used as part of National Grid’s constraints management pathfinder project, helping increase transmission capacity.
James Basden, co-founder and director of Zenobē, said: “This project demonstrates real innovation. Scotland is leading the world in its move to renewable energy and we're proud to be providing the critical infrastructure needed for the country’s clean energy transition.
“The battery at Wishaw is the first of a series of major battery flexibility projects by Zenobē and part of the around £500m, we intend to invest in Scotland in the next five years.”
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