RWE To Build Large-Scale Storage At Hambach Mine
The title of this post is the same as that of this press release from RWE.
These four bullet points act as sub-headings.
- 236 megawatts capacity and 470 megawatt-hours storage capacity
- First battery containers have been delivered; commissioning is planned for 2027
- Large-scale storage system balances fluctuations in the electricity grid in fractions of a second
- RWE currently constructing around 1.7 Gigawatts of battery storage capacity in Germany
This first paragraph gives some more details.
RWE is continuing to expand its battery storage portfolio and is constructing a new large-scale storage facility on the site of the Hambach opencast mine. The battery storage facility is being built near the village of Niederzier in the district of Düren. Preparatory work on a three-hectare site began at the end of 2025. The first of a total of 128 lithium-ion battery containers have already been delivered. The large-scale storage facility will have a capacity of 236 megawatts (MW) and a storage capacity of 470 megawatt-hours (MWh). The facility is scheduled to come on stream in 2027.
Note.
- According to the Wikipedia entry for the Hambach opencast mine, it was used to mine lignite or brown coal.
- The battery will be a two-hour battery.
- The site was originally the Hambach Forest, of which only ten percent remains, as the rest has been cut down because of the mining.
- The pit is 500 metres deep.
- Full cessation of lignite mining planned by 2030 as part of Germany’s coal phase-out.
The site is being gradually transformed into a reclaimed landscape, including the future Hambach lake.
It is well-worth reading the whole Wikipedia entry for the Hambach opencast mine.
ENGIE And La Caisse Select GE Vernova For The Next Phase Of The Modernization Of Dinorwig Pumped Storage Hydropower Plant In North Wales, UK
The title of this post is the same as this news item from Engie.
These are the three bullet points.
First Hydro Company – a 75:25 joint venture between ENGIE and La Caisse, has selected GE Vernova for the modernization/replanting of the first two units of the Dinorwig pumped storage hydropower plant in North Wales, UK.
GE Vernova is expected to replace two 315 Megawatt (MW) units to improve the plant’s reliability, availability and efficiency.
By the end of the decade, the two new units at Dinorwig will help ensure the continued delivery of the fast, flexible generation that plays a crucial role in supporting UK grid stability.
These three paragraphs add some more detail.
First Hydro Company (joint venture between ENGIE and La Caisse), and GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE: GEV), announce the next phase of the modernization/replanting of the Dinorwig pumped storage hydropower plant in North Wales, UK. Under the agreement, GE Vernova is expected to replace two pumped storage units as part of First Hydro’s long-term replanting programme at Dinorwig, to help extend the life of the plant for decades to come, while enhancing the plant’s reliability, availability and performance in support of UK grid stability.
Now over 40 years old, Dinorwig is Europe’s largest pumped storage hydropower plant and is renowned for its rapid response capability, delivering up to 1,320 MW of power within 12 seconds from standby, and up to 1,800 MW in under a minute. With such characteristics, this plant plays a vital role in grid resilience and frequency response, providing a capacity equivalent to power around one million homes in the UK.
As majority owner and operator of the plant through First Hydro Company, ENGIE is making a significant long-term investment to extend its operational life. The wider programme includes the replacement of key plant components across all six generating units, alongside significant infrastructure upgrades.
Note.
- According to the Wikipedia entry, Dinorwig power station has a storage capacity of around 9.1 GWh.
- It was commissioned in 1984.
- The plant was built by an Alfred McAlpine / Brand / Zschokke consortium.
As in 1984, Artemis was very busy, managing projects like this, I’d be very interested to know, if this was a project managed by Artemis.
On The Bonnie, Bonnie Banks o’ Loch Lomon’
I couldn’t resist using the first line of one of the most famous Scottish traditional songs, as the title of this post.
But a very significant power station project, is to be undertaken in the area.
These are the opening few sentences of the Wikipedia entry for the Loch Sloy Hydro-Electric Scheme.
The Loch Sloy Hydro-Electric Scheme is a hydro-electric facility situated between Loch Sloy and Inveruglas on the west bank of Loch Lomond in Scotland. It is also within the Arrochar Alps. The site was originally suggested as the location of a huge pumped-storage scheme in 1936 by Edward MacColl, but this was rejected as being uneconomic. After the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board was created in 1943, it became the first of their proposed schemes.
This Google Map shows Loch Lomond and Loch Sloy.
Note.
- Loch Sloy is in the North-West corner of the map.
- Loch Lomond is on the Eastern side of the map.
- The red arrow indicates the main buildings of the LochSloy Hydro-Electric Power Station.
- Loch Sloy is eight-hundred feet above Loch Lomond.
- The total generating capacity of the power station is 152.5 MW.
The facility is operated by Scottish and Southern Energy, and is normally in standby mode, ready to generate electricity to meet sudden peaks in demand. It can reach full capacity within 5 minutes from a standing start.
This second Google Map shows the power station to a larger scale.
Note.
- Loch Sloy is to the North-West of the North-West corner of the map.
- Loch Lomond is on the Eastern side of the map.
- The red arrow indicates the main buildings of the Loch Sloy Hydro-Electric Power Station.
- The four pipes carry water from Loch Sloy to the actual power station.
- The single-track West Highland Line crosses over the four pipes at their South-Eastern end.
The design of Loch Sloy Hydro-Electric Power Station is typical of many hydro-electric stations all over the world.
This third map is an OpenRailwayMap of the area.
Note.
- Loch Sloy is on the Western side of the map.
- Loch Lomond is on the Eastern side of the map.
- The yellow track is the single-track West Highland Line between Glasgow and Mallaig via Fort William
- The blue arrow indicates Ardlui station.
The railway goes close to the power station.
A Platinum Celebration for Sloy Power Station!
The title of this section is the same as this must-read web page on the SSE web site, which dates from 2020.
Sloy Power Station Development Plans
This second must read web page on the SSE web site is entitled Sloy Power Station.
This is the sub-heading.
We’re Proposing To Convert Our Iconic 1950s Hydro Station To Pumped Storage Hydro
This is the introduction to the development.
In April 2025, we submitted a planning application to the Scottish Government to convert the iconic Sloy Power Station into a pumped storage hydro scheme.
Our proposals would bolster energy security and help provide the large-scale and flexible renewable energy back-up needed in a future UK net zero power system, helping meet the UK Government’s ambition of Clean Power by 2030.
If approved for delivery, the converted Sloy scheme would be capable of delivering up to 16GWh of long-duration electricity storage capacity.
It could provide firm, flexible renewable energy for up to 100 hours non-stop.
It appears that the upgraded power station will effectively become a 160 MW/16 GWh long duration energy store.
Currently, the UK’s largest pumped storage power station is the 1727 MW/9.1 GWh Electric Mountain in North Wales.
The updated Sloy power station will have less output, but more storage capacity, than Electric Mountain.
Should There Be A Railway Station At Loch Sloy Power Station?
Google AI gives this answer in reply to “Loch Sloy Railway Station”.
There was never a permanent public railway station called Loch Sloy, but temporary private platforms like Inveruglas railway station and Faslane Platform railway station served the area. These stops were built in 1945 by the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) to haul materials and workers—including prisoners of war—for the construction of the Loch Sloy Hydro-Electric Scheme.
Note.
- Surely, similar reasons to those in 1945 could apply to the development of the power station. Materials and workers could be brought in by rail.
- Given, the power station’s historic significance, I believe that it could become a tourist attraction and/or education centre.It could be a stop for the Caledonian Sleeper.
I believe that as time passes, the power station’s historic significance will increase.
Are There Any Other Hydro Power Stations, That Can Be Upgraded To Pumped Storage Hydro?
Google AI can’t find anything at present.
UK Army Commissions 1.7GWh/year Solar Project At Larkhill Garrison
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Solar Power Portal.
This is the sub-heading.
The installation spans 2.5 hectares and comprises more than 4,000 PV panels.
These three paragraphs give a few more details.
The project forms part of the Army’s Project Prometheus programme, which is deploying rooftop and ground-mounted solar PV systems across suitable sites on the Army estate. It was delivered by Aspire Defence Services on behalf of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO).
The Ministry of Defence is also partnered with Great British Energy to deploy solar across its sites.
The commissioning follows an expansion of solar capacity at Larkhill this year through the addition of the ground-mounted array and four rooftop PV installations.
Note.
- Larkhill has a Wikipedia entry.
- Larkhill is part of the Salisbury Plain Training Area, which also has a Wikipedia entry.
- The Salisbury Plain Training Area takes up 11 % of the County of Wiltshire and is as large as the Isle of Wight.
There certainly would appear to be plenty of space for 4,000 solar panels.
Does The Army’s Project Prometheus Programme Include Batteries?
I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this section and received this reply.
The British Army’s Project Prometheus primarily focuses on generating renewable energy through solar PV systems, though specific related net-zero initiatives on the defense estate incorporate separate energy storage components like batteries.
Project Prometheus Overview
Core focus: Deploying ground-mounted and rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays across the military estate.
Main goal: Increase green energy supply, cut carbon emissions, and reduce grid electricity dependency.
Integration with Energy Storage
Solar focus: Primary Project Prometheus installations route generated electricity directly to local military buildings or export surpluses back to the national grid.
Associated storage: While standalone solar arrays under Prometheus distribute power dynamically, separate broader sustainability and pilot schemes across the military net-zero portfolio—such as Project Taurus or thermal storage trials—run alongside it to evaluate localized battery storage capabilities.
Project Prometheus would appear to be a typical well-designed solar power programme.
Project Taurus
Project Taurus has been mentioned and Google AI gave me this overview.
Project Taurus in the UK Ministry of Defence refers to a sustainable energy initiative by the British Army to construct solar-powered carports featuring electric vehicle (EV) charging ports and battery storage, starting at Army Headquarters in Andover.
It looks to me, that Project Taurus could have applications outside the military.
Comet Ridge Lands Gladstone Gas Deal
It is obviously Highview Power’s day, as this project in Queensland, Australia gets five mentions in my Google Alert for Highview Power.
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Industry Queensland.
This is the sub-heading.
Mahalo gas hub developer Comet Ridge has reached a deal with Highview Power to supply the large-scale electricity project it is planning to build at the Aldoga State Development area near Gladstone.
These four paragraphs give a summary of the project.
The volume of gas targeted is 3.6 PJ/a (10 TJ/d) for a minimum of five years.
Highview’s Central Queensland Energy Storage Project is to be constructed in two phases.
Phase 1 consists of a 400MW four-hour battery energy storage system, two 200MW open-cycle gas turbines, a 370MVA synchronous condenser, and associated substations and transmission lines.
Phase 2 will be the build-out of a 200MW 12-hour liquid air energy storage system.
It looks like Highview Power’s battery is one of their larger systems and is a 200 MW/2.4 GWh version.
On Highview Power’s Projects page, this is said under a header of Australia.
Highview is developing a series of base‑load renewable energy power stations in Australia, with planning now underway for three major programmes. In Gladstone, Central Queensland, and Townsville, North Queensland, we are progressing large scale projects combining LDES and short-term battery storage. On the Darwin–Katherine network in the Northern Territory, plans are advancing for an integrated scheme incorporating solar generation, LDES and battery. Together, these initial developments will help Australia meet its target of halving carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving net zero by 2050.
Gladstone is named in this story and on Highview Power’s web site.
Could Highview Power be making a breakthrough in process engineering after Sumitomo’s success at the LNG Terminal at Hiroshima.
Four Of The Largest Grid Batteries From Fidra
Fidra have made a big splash as they enter the UK’s Long Duration Energy Storage market, with three grid batteries.
Bicker Fen 1 and 2
Capacity – 1.20 GW/2.40 GWh
Web site
Commission Date – BF1-2028, BF2-2029
Thorpe Marsh
Capacity – 1.45 GW/2.90 GWh
Commission Date – Q1-2027
West Burton C
Capacity – 500 MW/1 GWh
Commission Date – Q4-2027
Note.
- All are two-hour batteries.
- Each battery has some drone footage of the site.
Will Andy Burnham Take The Highview Road To Lower Energy Bills?
Has Andy Burnham Ever Said He’d Like Energy Bills To Come Down?
I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this section of this post, and received this reply.
Yes, Andy Burnham has explicitly stated he wants to bring energy bills down, making it a central priority upon becoming UK Prime Minister in July 2026. He has pledged to give voters “breathing room” on the cost of living and is considering radical market overhauls to reduce household costs.
But has he looked at radical engineering solutions, that would also help to push energy bills down.
This morning, I wrote Molten Salt And Human Sweat: The Weird Batteries That Could Store Renewable Energy, which is based on a must-read article in today’s Guardian.
The Guardian article shows Andy Burnham with Highview Power’s engineers and managers at the ground breaking ceremony of Highview Power’s 50MW/300 MWh liquid-air grid battery at Carrington in Andy Burham’s feifdom of Greater Manchester, where he was mayor for nine years.
In Andy Burnham and Highview Power, I asked Google AI about their relationship and Andy Burnham came over as an enthusiastic supporter of Highview Power.
In UK Wind Risks ‘Exponentially Rising’ Curtailment Without Energy Storage, I discuss using Highview’s batteries to avoid shutting wind turbines down, when we have too much electricity.
I believe that if Andy Burnham, were to experdite up to 20 of Highview’s largest 300 MW/3.2 GWh batteries around the UK, this would have the right effect on energy bills.
I would hope that Andy Burnham is watching the progress of the Carrington battery closely.
Molten Salt And Human Sweat: The Weird Batteries That Could Store Renewable Energy
The title of this post is the same as that of this article in The Guardian.
This is the sub-heading.
From Nevada to Manchester, developers are trialling innovative solutions to clean energy’s biggest challenge
These first three paragraphs give a taste of what is to come.
In the deserts of the United Arab Emirates a sprawling clean energy project, stretching across an area roughly the size of 12,600 football fields, will play host to a breakthrough allowing solar energy to power the equivalent of half a million homes through the night.
The Gulf state has been steadily combining 5.2GW of solar power capacity with 19GWh of battery storage to create the largest battery scheme in the world.
Meanwhile, about 7,500 miles away, at the US’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory facility in Colorado, researchers and engineers are making some of the smallest batteries the world has ever seen. A fraction of the size of the grid-scale lithium-ion batteries used to store renewable energy, they have been designed to power electronic tags that will track the 3in-long (about 7.5cm) young from salmon and eel species.
And seeing, that they used to be the Manchester Guardian and that Andy Burnham is surely the man-of-the-day for other reasons, Highview Power’s 50 MW/300 MWh at Carrington in Manchester gets a big mention under a section heading of Liquid Air, with Burnham in hi-vis jacket and hard hat.
This picture, which is courtesy of The Guardian, shows the groundbreaking ceremony of the Carrington battery.
Andy Burnham is third from the right.
The Guardian article is very much a must read, that features projects from the United Arab Emirates, Colorado, Finland, Manchester, Nevada and Japan.
Andy Burnham and Highview Power
Highview Power are building their first commercial-scale liquid-air battery at Carrington in Greater Manchester.
I typed the title of this post into Google AI, to see if anything enlightening turned up.
This is what I found.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has strongly championed the development of Highview Power’s pioneering £300m liquid air energy storage (LAES) facility in Carrington, Manchester. Burnham officially broke ground on the project, praising it as a massive boost for local green jobs and grid resilience.
The Carrington Project at a Glance
Location: Trafford Low Carbon Energy Park, Carrington, Greater Manchester
Capacity: 300MWh of storage and 50MW of output. The plant can supply clean power to roughly 480,000 homes.
Jobs: Created over 700 jobs in construction and the supply chain.
Technology: Stores excess energy from renewable sources (like wind and solar) as liquid air. It can hold energy for several weeks to release back into the grid when demand is high.
Andy Burnham’s Stance
Burnham views the Highview Power plant as a cornerstone of his plan to reindustrialize Greater Manchester and establish it as a global center of excellence for clean energy.
Hosting such advanced demonstration technology aligns perfectly with his Good Growth Fund and regional net-zero strategies.
Broader Significance
Backed by Centrica and the National Wealth Fund, the Carrington site is the first in a planned global rollout of large-scale, long-duration energy storage plants. Mayor Burnham officially broke ground on the facility, which remains on track to be fully operational in 2026.
The Anonymous Widower 