Zenobē, the UK-based owner and operator of grid-scale battery storage, has announced its plans for a 68MW capacity battery energy storage system (BESS) in Scotland on one of the Shetland Islands.
The Shetland standby project, which is scheduled to go live in 2026 in Lerwick, is said to be the next step for connecting Shetland’s distribution network to the mainland grid.
It will allow Lerwick Power Station to operate in standby only, which the firm said will cut emissions and enable greater use of renewables on the islands. The BESS project will make use of grid-forming inverters and AC choppers, the latter of which helps absorb excess wind power during shutdowns.
The project was funded by approximately £60 million of non-recourse project finance debt from Natwest, Lloyds and Siemens.
The firm was appointed for the battery storage project by the electricity network SSEN Distribution, following a regulated tender process. Its battery storage portfolio in Scotland now includes over 1.2GW of capacity either live or in construction.
James Basden, founder director, Zenobē, said: “This project combines a battery with an AC chopper in Shetland to maintain security of supply, ensuring homes and businesses continue to receive the power they need in the event of a transmission system outage, while reducing emissions and utilising more renewables in Shetland.”
Nathan Coote, project manager, SSEN Distribution said: “This standby project, once completed, will mean that communities in Shetland will have the reassurance that during a planned outage, or in the event of there being a temporary issue with Shetland’s connection to mainland Scotland, power to homes and businesses will be maintained seamlessly, with the battery providing supply while Lerwick Power Station is safely brought out of standby.”
Image: The location of the battery storage project due to go live in 2026. Credit: Zenobē.
