Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC – Masdar has announced the start of commercial operations at its first battery energy storage site in the United Kingdom. This 20 megawatt (MW) and 40 megawatt-hour (MWh) facility, located in Stockport, is the first project to be commissioned since Masdar acquired UK-based Arlington Energy in 2022.
The facility, situated on Welkin Road, can store enough electricity to power 20,000 homes for more than two hours. Construction of the site began in May 2024 and forms part of a broader 3 gigawatt-hour (GWh) development programme representing a total investment of £1bn ($1.25bn) in the UK.
Two new sites planned in Cardiff and Chesterfield
Masdar has also confirmed the construction of two additional storage facilities in Chesterfield and Cardiff. These projects will deliver a combined capacity of 150MW and 300MWh, enough to supply more than 35,000 UK homes for a full day. No specific commissioning dates have been disclosed, but the projects represent the next phase of the company’s investment programme.
These Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) installations will enhance grid flexibility by storing electricity during low-demand periods and releasing it during peak times. This capability supports grid stability, improves supply security, and facilitates the integration of renewable energy into the UK’s national power system.
UK targets 27 GW of storage by 2030
The British government aims to deploy up to 27GW of battery storage capacity by the end of the decade under its Clean Power 2030 Action Plan. Masdar’s projects align with this national objective, although the company has not specified allocation volumes for each stage of development.
The facilities developed by Masdar are built to international safety standards and feature fire detection and suppression systems, along with 24-hour CCTV surveillance. No official timeline has been released for the construction of the Chesterfield and Cardiff sites.
