UK developer launches with 3.15 GW battery storage project pipeline

Washington-headquartered investment firm EIG Global Energy Partners has announced the launch of Fidra Energy, a European battery energy storage platform headquartered in Edinburgh, UK. 

The platform was established in September 2024, following EIG’s sale of the West Burton Energy (WBE) operational business to TotalEnergies. The deal saw a 1,332 MW combined cycle gas turbine facility and a 49 MW battery energy storage system change hands for as much as GBP 450 million ($589 million).

Following the deal, EIG said it would focus on growing its energy storage portfolio in the UK and Europe, via independent power producer WBE, leveraging a new battery energy storage platform, which was officially introduced on Monday.

Presently, Fidra Energy is developing three of the largest battery energy storage sites in the UK, aiming to establish a 10 GW platform across the UK and other European markets by 2030.

“Our strategy is focused on delivering big batteries to major markets through the development of large transmission-connected projects that secure economies of scale,” said Chris Elder, Fidra Energy’s CEO.

The largest project in Fidra’s portfolio is Thorpe Marsh, a 1.45 GW/2.9 GWh site in South Yorkshire. The project is developed on land adjacent to a former coal station site and large National Grid substation and is slated to break ground in 2025.

Fidra Energy’s other projects include Bicker Fen 1&2, a 1.2 GW/ 2.4 GWh site in the East Midlands, located on a 49 acre site adjacent to the Bicker Fen 400 kV substation. The Bicker Fen project is in early stage development with no planning applications filed yet.

The platform is also awaiting a planning consent for West Burton C, a 500 MW/1 GWh site in Nottinghamshire, adjacent to the existing West Burton B gas-fired power station and the proposed site of the UK’s prototype nuclear fusion plant. Together, these three projects are expected to generate enough electricity to meet over five percent of the UK’s peak demand, the company announcement said.

EIG is a leading institutional investor in the global energy and infrastructure sectors, with $24.9 billion under management as of June 30, 2024. During its 42-year history, EIG has committed more than $48.6 billion to the energy sector through 413 projects or companies in 42 countries across six continents.

Announcing the new the venture, Walid Mouawad, Managing Director & Global Co-Head of Energy Transition at EIG, said: “As renewable energy sources increase alongside rising electricity demand, we believe battery projects will be essential in supporting the deployment of intermittent renewable energy generation.”