Shell Signs Power Offtake Deal for 100 MW Storage System in England

Shell Energy Europe has agreed on a multi-year power offtake deal that enables the installation of the 100 MW Minety power storage project in England.

Shell Energy Europe Limited (SEEL) has agreed on a multi-year power offtake deal that enables the installation of Europe’s biggest battery, the 100-megawatt (MW) Minety power storage project in south-west England.

The battery storage system which is backed by China Huaneng Group and Chinese sovereign wealth fund CNIC is expected to be completed by the end of 2020. The two 50-MW batteries will enable SEEL and Shell subsidiary Limejump to optimise the use of renewable power in the area.

“Projects like this will be vital for balancing the UK’s electricity demand and supply as wind and solar power play bigger roles in powering our lives,” David Wells, Vice President of SEEL, said. “Batteries are uniquely suited to optimising power supplies as the UK moves towards net-zero carbon system.”

Batteries are expected to play a key part in the transition to a low-carbon energy system by absorbing excess energy when supply exceeds demand in some areas, then supplying that power to the grid when needed.

Limejump, a wholly-owned Shell subsidiary that manages the largest network of batteries in the UK, will optimise the use of Europe’s biggest battery through its pioneering Virtual Power Platform.

Earlier this month, we had reported that innogy SE had taken the final investment decision (FID) for a large-scale battery storage facility in Ireland. The 60-megawatt (MW) facility will be located in the Irish county of Monaghan within the vicinity of Lisdrumdoagh. The construction will start this year, with commissioning scheduled for 2021. After full commissioning, the battery storage plant will provide system services to the national grid and will expand the firms’ renewables portfolio in Ireland, with the ability to deliver 60 MW of power, enough capacity to power around 125,000 homes.

As the growth of renewable generation continues to replace conventional power generation around the world, there is an increasing challenge for the grid operators to safely manage imbalances in the system, which can include the curtailment of renewable generators. Large storage systems, like the battery facility planned in Lisdrumdoagh, will respond in less than 150 milliseconds to frequency changes, importing or exporting electricity from the grid as needed. As a result, battery storage schemes help not only to even out the fluctuating feed-in from renewable energies but also to efficiently stabilise the grid and guarantee reliable electricity supply.