urope’s largest battery storage project, the 100-megawatt system in Minety in Wiltshire, South West England, has been fully operational for a year now. Controlled and optimised by Shell-owned Limejump, the battery helps to balance the UK’s electricity demand, providing electricity for up to 10,000 homes for a day before being recharged. Shell Energy Europe Limited signed a multiyear offtake agreement in early 2020 to trade all of the power from the battery, as part of Shell’s wider work to help accelerate the transition to cleaner energy sources. The Minety project, consisting of two 50-megawatt batteries, was developed by Penso Power and funded by China Huaneng Group and CNIC Corporation.
“Flexible storage and supply systems such as Minety have an essential role in balancing supply and demand – especially as renewable power sources become increasingly central to the UK’s energy needs,” David Wells, VP Shell Energy Europe, said. “We fully support the UK’s target of achieving a net-zero emissions society by 2050. Projects like this will enable that transition.”