PARIS: Voltalia announced the launch of the construction of the Hallen Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), a 32-megawatt /32 megawatt-hour storage power plant located near the city of Bristol in the Avonmouth aera.

Hallen BESS will contribute to the stability of the UK’s electricity grid, in a context of an increasing transition to the use of renewable energies in the UK.

A dedicated Battery Energy Storage project

Hallen BESS is a lithium-ion battery storage power plant comprising 16 modules of 2 megawatt-hour unit capacity each. The modules will be stacked on site to optimize the surface used.

The project is located near the city of Bristol in the Avonmouth area. Hallen BESS will operate across all markets providing frequency, balancing and other ancillary services to the National Grid and local grid network.

The commissioning is scheduled for the first quarter of 2022. The project amounts to around 15 million pounds investments and is not yet backed by long term contracts.

Presence in the UK

Present in the country since 2012, Voltalia has built and operated 22 solar plant for third-party customers with a total capacity of 193 MW. In 2017, Voltalia was also in charge of the construction of a lithium-ion battery storage unit with a capacity of 2 megawatts / 2.4 megawatt-hours for a third-party customer.

As a renewable energy generator, Voltalia was awarded a 15-year power sales contract with the City of London Corporation in 20201 which will be produced by the South Farm solar power plant.

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With a capacity of 49.9 megawatts, it will be located in Spetisbury, Dorset. Voltalia also owns and operates the Tonge solar power plant which has been operational since 2016. With a capacity of 7 MW, this plant is located in Sittingbourne, Kent.

“Hallen BESS is ideally in-line with our strategy of diversification, both technological and geographical. After winning a 49.9 megawatt- solar power sales contract for the City of London Corporation at the end of 2020, this new project allows us to strengthen our foothold in the UK, where energy transition is a priority. In addition, Hallen BESS allows us to capitalize on our experience in battery storage acquired, in particular, with the commissioning in 2020 of the largest storage complex in France” says Sébastien Clerc, CEO of Voltalia.

Voltalia is an international player in the renewable energy sector. The Group produces and sells electricity generated from wind, solar, hydraulic, biomass and storage facilities that it owns and operates. Voltalia has generating capacity in operation and under construction of more than 1.4 GW and a portfolio of projects under development representing total capacity of 9.7 GW.

Voltalia is also a service provider and supports its investor clients in renewable energy projects during all phases, from design to operation and maintenance.

As a pioneer in the corporate market, Voltalia provides a global offer to private companies, ranging from the supply of green electricity and energy efficiency services to the local production of their own electricity.

The Group has more than 1,130 employees and is present in 20 countries on 4 continents and is able to act worldwide on behalf of its clients. (www.voltalia.com)