With an operational battery storage capacity of 6.8 GW/10.5 GWh, the UK is a leader in the European battery storage sector. The UK’s goals are even more ambitious. By 2030, they plan to have a battery energy storage system (BESS) capacity of 25 GW. Achieving these goals seems possible. More than 1.4 GW were commissioned this year alone, and approximately 6.5 GW of capacity is currently under construction. The interaction between battery storage developers and investors will be essential for the continued success of the sector. To provide an overview of the sector as a whole and help its participants identify the most important battery storage investors and developers, we have created a list of the world’s largest battery storage investors and a list of the largest battery storage developers in the world. Here, we present five major BESS players from the United Kingdom as an extract of this list. When selecting investors, we considered their latest investment activities, their current investment portfolio, and their future strategic decisions. Regarding the developers, we looked at their already installed capacity, as well as their regional reach and their development pipeline. This article aims to deliver a first overview of the British battery storage sector, which can be deepened with the help of our lists.
1. Eku Energy (London)
Eku Energy is a key player in the battery storage sector. Not only in the UK, but worldwide. The company is solely focused on developing large-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) all around the world. From its offices in London, Australia and Japan, Eku Energy operates in five markets. The company currently has eight projects in operation or under construction, with more than 50 others in development. These projects have an active delivery capacity of over 25 GWh. In the UK alone, Eku Energy has four projects. While the Basildon BESS (28 MW/56 MWh), the Loudwater BESS (40 MW/55 MWh) and the Meldon BESS (40 MW/40 MWh) are already operational, their biggest UK project, the Ocker Hill BESS with a storage capacity of 99 MW/198 MWh, is still under construction. In its second core market, Australia, Eku Energy is developing several large-scale BESS projects with a capacity of 300 MW/1,200 MWh. One of the country’s largest BESS projects, the Rangebank BESS with a capacity of 200 MW/400 MWh, is already operational. Their success in recent years has attracted even more investors. This year, Eku Energy secured debt financing of £45 million for one of its projects. However, their most significant business move to date was the acquisition of Bluestone Energy’s portfolio of energy storage projects in the United Kingdom, with a combined capacity of 1 GW/2 GWh. This acquisition positions Eku Energy at the heart of the UK’s energy transition, particularly in the battery storage sector.
2. Nala Renewables (London)
Nala Renewables is a major player in the renewable energy sector, both in the UK and beyond. The company acts as a developer and investor in solar, wind and battery storage projects. Since their founding, 2020, Nala Renewables has built an operational, in-construction and development portfolio totalling 3 GW, with the goal of more than tripling this figure. up. to 10 GW by 2030. In terms of battery storage, Nala Renewables developed their first project in 2021, building one of Belgium’s largest battery energy storage systems with a capacity of 25 MW/100 MWh. Since then, they have further expanded their BESS business to the US, developing new BESS projects with a capacity of up to 280 MW. Recently, Nala Renewables entered the Finnish market and acquired several BESS projects, including a 50 MW ready-to-build project and a 250 MW ready-to-build portfolio.
3. Zenobē Energy (London)
Zenobē Energy is another important British player in the battery storage sector. The company acts as a developer and investor and already has contracted storage assets. over 1,100 MW with a huge development pipeline. Zenobē aims to deliver 1.2 GW of battery power by 2027. This year, the company announced that its largest battery site in Europe, located in Blackhillock, Scotland, had begun commercial operations. The project has an initial capacity of 200 MW, set to increase to 300 MW/600 MWh by 2026. Further huge projects are already in development, such as the Eccles Battery Energy Storage System, a 400 MW/800 MWh project under construction. In addition to its development activities, Zenobe has recently been involved in several other projects. One of these is the acquisition of a 400 MW ready-to-build battery energy storage system (BESS) in Low Harker, Cumbria, from Innova. Due to the sheer volume of Zenobe’s projects, Renewables.digital lists Zenobe as one of the biggest players in the British battery storage market.
4. Gore Street Capital (London)
Gore Street Capital is a London-based investment manager specialising in renewable energy and private equity. The company specialises in advancing energy storage systems. Their investments are tunnelled through their Gore Street Energy Storage Fund (GSF) and the Gore Street Japan Fund. While active in six markets, Gore Street Capital has made over 30 investments. energy storage investments, with a total capacity of 1.29 GW. The value of assets under management and advisory totals over £550 million. In addition to its investment arm, Gore Street Capital offers procurement and construction services to clients, implementing its asset management strategy.
5. Statera Energy (London)
Statera is another major renewable energy developer based in the UK. The company owns, develops and operates projects across the UK. To date, they have delivered over 15 operational or under-construction projects, primarily focusing on battery or hydropower storage. Their battery storage portfolio is one of the largest in the UK. It comprises 600 MW of completed projects and a further 3 GW in the development pipeline. Their flagship project is the 300MW Thurrock battery storage project in Essex. The Exeter Battery Storage project has a peak output of 290 MW and is another of the company’s major projects. Given the nature of their projects and project pipeline, it is no surprise that renewables.digital identified Statera as one of the major players in the UK battery storage sector.
About the list of the largest Battery Storage Investors in the world
Columns included in the list of the biggest Battery Storage Players in the world
- Company data (Company Name, Legal form, Country of origin)
- Contact details (Country, City, Address, Postcode, URL, E-Mail, Phone, Management)
- Area of activity (Onshore Wind, Offshore Wind, Solar, Hydro, Tidal, Hydrogen projects, Geothermal, Energy storage, Biomass)
- Type of Investor (Asset-/Investmentmanager, Family Office, Utility, IPP), if part of our investors list
- Special Focus (PPAs, Repowering)
- Further information (Regional Focus, Founding year, installed capacity in MW)
Covered regions
Our list includes wind energy investors from the following regions:
- Africa
- Asia
- Europe
- North America
- South America
- Oceania
Picture Source: Sungrow EMEA, PHLAIR via Unsplash
