Wärtsilä has signed a contract with EDF Renewables UK and Ireland to deliver a new grid-scale energy storage facility in Sundon, Bedfordshire, UK. The 50 MW / 100 MWh project, which will form part of a new Energy Superhub in the region, will help to support the transition to a decarbonised electricity system and accelerate the UK’s net zero future. The order was included in Wärtsilä’s order book in Q4 2022, and construction is expected to start in spring 2023.
The new 50 MW / 100 MWh lithium-ion storage facility in Sundon can store enough electricity to power 100,000 homes for two hours, and it will support electric vehicle (EV) charging and the electrification of public transport. The project will enable increased renewable energy integration and intermittency management, in addition to strengthening the resiliency of the electricity system, automatically charging and discharging to balance supply and demand.