Kilmarnock South: Delivering Grid Stability with 300MW of Battery Storage
Kilmarnock South’s 300MW battery energy storage system delivers grid stability, and cuts curtailment, emissions and fossil fuel reliance in the UK.
Capenhurst grid-scale battery
A world-first battery for reactive power on the transmission network
100MW
the largest transmission-connected battery in Europe
40MVar
of reactive power services under a 9-year contract
c.1.34m tonnes
of CO2 saved from entering the atmosphere over 15 years*
*This number was updated on 10/12/24, in-line with our most up-to-date reporting methodology.
Zenobē has built the first battery to have a commercial contract to absorb reactive power direct from a transmission network in the UK. It will also be the largest transmission-connected battery in Europe.
The challenge
The demand for reactive power services to help manage voltage levels is growing due to the rapid uptake of renewable power generation. As part of its Pathfinder programme, National Grid, the UK’s Electricity System Operator (ESO), conducted a tender for the provision of reactive power in the Mersey region of the UK. This gave an opportunity for new technology businesses to demonstrate how their solutions deliver better outcomes for the environment and consumers than traditional providers.
The solution
Zenobē’s specialist high voltage engineering team worked with our supply chain partners to optimise not only the absorption of reactive power but also active power services that run concurrently. This innovative design, which included a direct connection onto the 275kV bay, has enabled the stacking of multiple active power, capacity and voltage services to deliver the lowest cost to the consumer and to make a significant reduction in carbon emissions. Zenobē’s solution results in minimal impact on the environment and local community whilst also adding several habitat enhancements.
Zenobē won a nine year contract to deliver 40MVar of reactive power services in May 2020. This is the first time a battery has delivered this type of service anywhere in the world.
Later, we were the first to use the revision to England’s planning regime for generation assets to build a 100MW facility which is also Europe’s largest transmission connected battery.
The outcome
The Capenhurst site will ensure security of power supply for the Mersey region with a reactive power service delivered at substantially lower cost to consumers. Over the next 15 years it is forecast to remove 1,343,676 tonnes of CO2 compared to traditional sources. This project is a significant milestone towards enabling not only a zero carbon power system but also the delivery of the UK’s Net Zero commitments.
Capenhurst marked several industry firsts. It was the world’s first battery to hold a commercial contract to absorb reactive power directly from a transmission network, the first battery to connect directly to the transmission network in the UK and the first in England to use the revised planning regime to enable a 100MW battery. At the time, it was also the largest transmission-connected battery in Europe.
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