Wind power developers Ørsted are committing to store electricity from their 1.2GW Hornsea 3 marine farm next to a substation at Swardeston, near Norwich
The Danes today confirmed their investment go-ahead to co-locate the 300MW/600MWh storage system, among Europe’s largest, on the Norfolk site. No cash value was disclosed.
Commissioning the devices is timetabled for late 2026. Co-locating both facilities will minimise disruption during construction and later during operations.
At 600MWh, the Tesla-built battery will host clean wind power in quantities enough to power a nominal 80,000 homes.
Ørsted sees gargantuan coulomb crèches like Swardeston as natural partners for its 12 wind farms now generating in British waters.
The company has 660MW/1,850MWh of batteries either under construction or already in service across the UK and US. Over 2GW of further amp hotels are in various stages of development in the same regions, plus Ireland.
The departing Sunak administration intended to multiply the nation’s present offshore generation capacity fourfold by 2030, reaching 50GW. In their manifesto due tomorrow, Labour are expected honour that target.
Duncan Clark, Ørsted’s boss in UK & Ireland, said: “The Swardeston battery will help ensure renewable energy is used in the best possible way by storing it when demand is lower and then releasing it back into the system when really needed. This maximises the potential of renewable energy whilst providing increased energy security and value to consumers. “
Mike Snyder, Megapack senior director at battery providers Tesla, said: “We are excited to be part of this industry-leading project with an exceptional partner. This project demonstrates the value and flexibility of Tesla’s best-in-class power electronics, providing enhanced grid stability and enabling more renewables on the grid.”
