EDF Renewables UK is to include a 50MW/100MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) project in the UK’s second Energy Superhub, being constructed in Coventry.
Construction has started on the Energy Superhub, which will integrate several renewable technologies to maximise the benefits of decarbonised energy. This includes a 50MW.100MWh BESS site, being delivered by Wärtsilä, and an EV charging network.
The first Energy Superhub project had been developed by the now EDF-owned Pivot Power in Oxford. As part of the £41 million project, the “largest lithium-vanadium hybrid BESS in the world” was integrated at the Oxford Energy Superhub, it was reported at the time.
As such, a 5MWh vanadium redox flow battery had been combined with a 50MWh Wärtsilä lithium-ion battery system to operate as a single energy storage asset.
The Coventry Energy Superhub will continue a partnership with Wärtsilä and roll out a further 100MW/200MWh of battery storage split across two sites in Coventry and Sandwell.
According to EDF Renewables, the 100MWh battery system will help support the integration of renewable energy by storing it for when there is a peak in demand. The lithium-ion battery system will be directly connected to the UK’s high-voltage transmission network and will be controlled via Wärtsilä’s GEMS Digital Energy Platform.
“Transport and energy are the UK’s two most polluting sectors. Our Energy Superhub model helps to cut emissions from both at the same time, scaling up renewable energy and clean transport to accelerate a net zero future,” said Matthew Boulton, director of storage and private wire at EDF Renewables UK.
“Building on the foundation of the first Energy Superhub in Oxford, we are focused on applying the model to meet unique regional and local challenges. Coventry has long been at the forefront of transport innovation and our smart power infrastructure will deliver the capacity they need to lead the UK’s transition to electric mobility.”
Although details of the EV charging network at the Coventry hub have not been disclosed, the Oxford project aimed to create what Pivot Power claimed at the time would be the world’s most powerful charging network, delivering up to 25MW of power via an 8km private wire network.
The Superhub site includes 20 charge points ranging from rapid (50kW+) to ultra-rapid (150kW+). Along with these, the project integrated 30 fast charge points (min 7kW). These make up half of the 100 charge points for council vehicle depots and public use that Oxford City Council has committed to.
As well as this, the Oxford hub will include a switch to EVs for council-owned vehicles, a ‘Try before you buy’ scheme for Oxford’s Hackney Carriage drivers, a new charging network and hub of public chargers and the world’s largest hybrid battery energy storage system.
“Coventry has always been a city at the forefront of innovation, from leading the way in car manufacturing to driving the green industrial revolution today,” said Councillor Jim O’Boyle, cabinet member for jobs, regeneration and climate change at Coventry City Council.
“We’re pleased to work with EDF Renewables UK, which will help power homes with cleaner energy, decarbonise transport and improve air quality. This will complement our plans for greener travel in the city, including Very Light Rail and our plans to completely electrify Coventry’s bus fleet by 2025.”
The Superhubs are designed to help Pivot and EDF Renewables UK deliver up to 2GW of transmission-connected battery storage and high-volume power connections to support more renewables and create the power infrastructure for mass-scale, rapid EV charging.
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