The Anonymous Widower

Grid Powers Up With One Of Europe’s Biggest Battery Storage Sites

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article in The Times.

This is the sub-heading.

Orsted’s huge facility in Norfolk will store energy generated by its offshore wind farm

These three paragraphs give more details of the project.

The world’s largest developer of offshore wind farms is planning to build a vast battery storage facility near Norwich.

Orsted will install the energy storage system, which will be one of the largest in Europe, on the same site as the onshore converter station for its Hornsea 3 wind farm in Swardeston, Norfolk.

The project will store energy generated by Hornsea 3 when weather conditions are windy and when electricity supply exceeds demand so that it can be discharged later to help to balance the nation’s electricity grid.

Note.

1. There is also a visualisation and a map.
2. Tesla batteries will be used.
3. The The battery will have an output of 300 MW, with a capacity of 600 MWh. So it is another two-hour BESS.
4. It should be operational in 2026.
5. The battery is on a 35-acre site.
6. Cost is given as £8.5 billion, but that would appear to include the 2852 MW Hornsea 3 wind farm.

The BBC is reporting that local residents are worried about fire safety.

I have some thoughts of my own.

The Location Of The Swardeston Substation

This Google Map shows the location of the Swardeston substation, which will also host the Swardeston BESS.

Note.

1. The East-West road is the A 47 Norwich by-pass.
2. Norwich is to the North of the by-pass.
3. Just to the left-centre of the map, the main A 140 road runs between Norwich and Ipswich, which has a junction with the A 47.
4. The A 140 passes through the village of Dunston, which is to the East of the National Grid sibstation, which will host the connection to the Hornsea Three wind farm.

This second Google Map shows the A 140 in detail from the junction to the A 47 to the Swardeston substation.

Note.

1. The Swardeston substation is on a substantial site.
2. The Norwich to Tilbury transmission line will have its Northern end at Swardeston substation.
3. Once the infrastructure is complete at Swardeston substation, Hornsea Three wind farm will be connected to the electricity infrastructure around London.

There would appear to be plenty of space at the site for all National Grid’s plans.

Capital Cost Compared To Big Nuclear

Hornsea Three is a 2852 MW wind farm, that will cost with the battery and a few extras £8.5 billion or around around £ 3 billion per gigawatt.

Hinckley Point C on the other hand will cost between £ 31-35 billion or £ 9.5-10.7 billion per gigawatt.

Conclusion

National Grid would appear to be using a BESS at Swardeston substation to improve the reliability and integrity of the Hornsea Three wind farm.

How many other big batteries will be placed, where large wind farms connect to the National Grid?

As an Electrical and Control Engineer, I certainly, believe that energy storage at major substations, is a proven way to improve the grid.

June 12, 2024 - Posted by AnonW | Energy, Energy Storage | Ørsted, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), Electricity Substation, Hornsea Wind Farm, National Grid, National Grid Norwich To Tilbury Project, Norfolk, Swardeston BESS, Two-Hour BESS