ONE of the largest batteries in Europe is to be placed near Ellesmere Port.

Zenobe, the UK’s leading independent owner and operator of battery storage, has selected EDF as the company’s trading and optimisation partner for the new 100MW battery.

The battery will be located at Capenhurst and will be the largest transmission-connected battery storage project in Europe.

The announcement of this partnership follows several months of cooperation between the two teams working on the project.

Zenobe and EDF are among the main players in this sector; Zenobe currently has 175MW of operational grid-scale battery capacity and is on track to have 1GW of battery storage by 2026; EDF has now contracted 490MW battery storage under optimisation.

The long-term agreement will see EDF optimise the battery through its trading platform. It will mean EDF opening access to a variety of revenue streams for this asset.

Stuart Fenner, head of energy trading services at EDF said: “We are very pleased that the team at Zenobe have chosen EDF as their trading and optimisation partner on this pioneering battery project and we are committed to expanding our partnership with Zenobe in the future.

"With a wealth of experience in this space, we have been able to offer a long-term deal which will provide Zenobe with optimal revenues and the reassurance of a floor price. This partnership will provide essential flexibility to the energy system and reinforces EDF’s commitment to helping Britain achieve net zero.”

James Basden, co-founder and director at Zenobe, added: “This is an incredibly exciting project, not just for Zenobe but for the UK.

"It has been commissioned as a direct response to the National Grid’s pathfinder programme and is a great example of the pioneering solutions businesses like ours can bring to the table when industry innovation is encouraged by up-to-date legislation.

"Battery projects like this one will be essential in balancing the grid and enabling Britain to reach its climate goals.”

The new energy storage plant is due to be operational by 2022, and will be the largest transmission-connected battery storage project in Europe.