UK renewable energy investment company Thrive Renewables is teaming up with community energy group Bristol Energy Co-operative (BEC), in a 20 MW/30MWh lithium-ion battery project.
Bristol-based Thrive has offered BEC an opportunity to co-invest in the project located in an industrial and residential area in the city.
It said it is the first commercial project of its kind where an owner has offered the local community an opportunity to co-own a standalone battery.
The battery is currently being commissioned and will have the capacity to store and deliver 1.5 hours or 30MWh of electricity to the national and local grid. The battery is connected to the grid and in the latter stages of commissioning, said Alex Lomax of Thrive Renewables.
G2 Energy carried out the engineering, procurement and construction contract, while Trina Storage supplied the physical battery system, which includes battery racks supplied by CATL.
The battery contains lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) cells and is monitored by a dedicated battery management system.
Thrive has invested £29 million ($36 million) in Bristol’s clean energy infrastructure, including an 8.2 MW wind farm in Avonmouth.
Bristol currently has 144 MW of clean electricity projects, including storage, that are either operational or in construction.
With construction now complete, Thrive has also developed a landscape plan for the site on Feeder Road that will help protect and enhance the site’s biodiversity, with a focus on providing a variety of animals with more places to nest and shelter.
Photo: Jim Johnston
