The department for business, energy and industrial strategy (Beis) is inviting bids for millions of pounds in grant funding to support development of large scale energy storage and small scale flexibility markets.
Big storage
The large storage competition aims to help prove novel approaches to storage at scale.
While some businesses are developing novel large storage, such as the liquid air energy storage plant in Bury, there are many technologies that are probably more useful to the energy system than technologies such as lithium-ion batteries, which are attracting investment largely because they have already scaled.
Beis seeks “innovative, replicable solutions which could provide a market competitive alternative to conventional commercial large scale energy storage technologies, for example pumped-hydro or batteries (such as lithium ion, lead acid or sodium-sulphur).”
£20m is available between 2019 and 2021 for up to three projects. They must target a minimum output of 30MW or capacity of 50MWh. Technologies that convert power into other forms of energy, such as gas, are also in scope and must target a minimum input power of 5MW.
Parties must register interest by 17 April. Details here.
Small flex marketplaces
There is £4m in funding for up to three small flexibility market projects. The aim is to build exchanges where lots of different flexibility assets, such as storage, generation, load DSR can be offered by multiple sellers to multiple buyers.
Project teams can apply for up to £2.5 million grant funding for each demonstration project, but Beis said they must feature real participants, and deliver real services to the energy system. It also wants to see some households or small firms involved.
Details here.
Related stories:
SSEN to bring households and communities into DSR this summer
How to balance the grid using energy efficiency as a tradeable resource
National Grid focuses on bringing smaller firms, EVs and households into flexibility
Domestic DSR: Social Energy lands first megawatt FFR contract, plans 350MW by 2020
Highview Power plans 50MW/200MWh liquid air storage plant
Gravity storage project receives grant to build prototype
Energy storage ‘will wipe out’ battery storage
Click here to see if you qualify for a free subscription to the print edition or to renew.
Follow us at @EnergystMedia. For regular bulletins, sign up for the free newsletter.
Leave a Reply