TagEnergy has energised its Lakeside battery energy storage system (BESS), making it the largest transmission-connected BESS project in the UK.
The 100MW/200MWh facility in Drax, North Yorkshire, is the company’s first transmission-connected BESS.
It is wholly owned and operated by TagEnergy, with Tesla, Habitat Energy and RES as project partners. Tesla provided a system of Tesla Megapack 2XL lithium-ion batteries. Habitat Energy partners as route to market and battery optimiser, while renewable energy company RES is asset manager.
Franck Woitiez, CEO of TagEnergy, said Lakeside will, for a while, be the largest transmission-connected BESS project in the UK. It was energised and connected onto the National Grid’s transmission network without significant delays or operating issues. The company said most BESS projects in the UK connect into the lower-voltage networks run by distribution network operators (DNOs) rather than National Grid’s high-voltage transmission network. Connecting the transmission network means a more reliable connection and better visibility in National Grid control rooms.
TagEnergy acquired full ownership of the facility from RES in December 2021. It began construction in August 2023.
It has more than 6GW of solar, wind and battery storage technologies in the UK, Portugal, Spain, France and Australia, of which 1.7GW is under construction or operation.