Aggreko has delivered a high-voltage bridging power package to commission a battery energy storage system at Europe’s largest battery farm.
The 500MW facility at Coalburn, South Lanarkshire, is part of a growing network of UK battery farms designed to stabilise the grid by storing and releasing renewable energy.
Working alongside main contractor H&MV Engineering, Aggreko supplied a bespoke package including a 5MW load bank and 5MW generator at 33kV, plus a 150kVA LV generator, HV/LV cabling and ancillary equipment. The load bank enabled precise simulation of electrical demand, while Stage V generators powered by hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) biofuel ensured uninterrupted supply and reduced emissions during commissioning.
All systems were installed and supported by Aggreko’s on-site engineering team, who also managed transport logistics across the restricted laydown area and multiple battery blocks. A dedicated engineer oversaw performance and responded to technical issues in real time, minimising risk and downtime.
“Aggreko’s support was critical to the successful commissioning of the BESS site at Coalburn 1,” said Hugh Prentice, senior project manager at H&MV Engineering. “The solution’s ability to simulate electrical loads and provide uninterrupted power supply gave us the confidence that the system would perform reliably once live.”
Developed by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), the 1GW Coalburn site is expected to reach full capacity in 2026, supplying power to 184,000 homes and offsetting 103,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually.
