Zenobē unveils pioneering battery storage project to secure Shetland's grid resilience
Shetland, UK – 30th July 2025
Zenobē, the UK’s leading owner and operator of grid-scale battery storage, has today announced plans for The Shetland Standby Project, a 68MW battery energy storage system (BESS) in Lerwick in Shetland.
This pioneering battery solution will be the crucial next step in connecting Shetland’s distribution network to the mainland grid and it will maintain security of supply for Shetland’s homes and businesses with reduced emissions. It will allow Lerwick Power Station to operate in standby only, thus cutting emissions and utilising more renewables on the islands.
The Shetland Standby Project is scheduled to go live in 2026 and will have advanced technology like grid-forming inverters and AC choppers. The use of an AC chopper is an innovative step toward strengthening the grid, as it helps absorb excess wind power during shutdowns.
Zenobē has secured c.£60m of non-recourse project finance debt from leading energy transition lenders Natwest, Lloyds and Siemens to fund the buildout of the project.
The site marks another milestone in Zenobē’s Scottish battery portfolio, which now includes over 1.2GW of capacity either live or under construction – supporting the UK Government’s mission to achieve a decarbonised power grid by 2030.
Following a regulated tender process, SSEN Distribution appointed Zenobē to provide this service due to their technical battery expertise, including launching Europe’s largest battery in March 2025 at Blackhillock, Moray in the north east of Scotland, the first in the world to provide stability services.
Commenting, Zenobē Founder Director James Basden said: “This project combines a battery with an AC chopper in Shetland to maintain security of supply, ensuring homes and businesses continue to receive the power they need in the event of a transmission system outage, while reducing emissions and utilising more renewables in Shetland.
“It marks an important step in the islands’ transition to a clean and resilient energy system and we’re proud to bring our battery expertise to a project that will reduce reliance on fossil fuels on the island network.”
Commenting, SSEN Distribution’s Project Manager Nathan Coote said: “We’ve long been committed to delivering a sustainable, whole system solution to decarbonise Shetland’s grid while maintaining security of supply.
“This standby project, once completed, will mean that communities in Shetland will have the reassurance that during a planned outage, or in the event of there being a temporary issue with Shetland’s connection to mainland Scotland, power to homes and businesses will be maintained seamlessly, with the battery providing supply while Lerwick Power Station is safely brought out of standby.”
About Zenobē Energy Ltd. (Zenobē):
Zenobē is an EV fleet and grid-scale battery storage specialist, headquartered in the UK. The company began operations in 2017 and now employs >300 FTEs with a wide range of leading skills including electrical engineering, software development, computer sciences and financing.
Zenobē is the leading owner and operator of grid-scale batteries on the GB transmission network and is expanding into Australasia and North America. Zenobē has over 1.2GW of battery storage assets in operation or under construction. Zenobē has around 25% market share of the UK EV bus sector and supports over 3,400 electric vehicles across more than 120 depots globally. The company is the largest owner and operator of EV buses in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
About Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution:
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution is an electricity Distribution Network Operator which is part of the FTSE-100 energy company, SSE. It serves almost 4 million customers across the diverse communities of central southern England and the north of Scotland. SSEN Distribution provides millions of homes and businesses with a safe and reliable supply of electricity, and we’re at the forefront of delivering the decarbonised electricity system of the future, by connecting new low-carbon technologies to the network. Through this, SSEN is helping support sustainable economic growth for decades to come.
