Conrad Energy, a developer of renewable energy projects in the UK, has announced that its 25MW/50MWh battery energy storage project in Blackburn has entered operation.
The project is connected to the 33kV grid of the Electricity North West. It has also completed both the pre-commissioning calibration and the functional testing that follows grid connection.
Steve Conry, COO of Conrad Energy, said the project will help address two issues. The first issue is the intermittency of renewable generation. The second issue is have renewable generation systems meet the requirements of different kinds of grid systems. At the same time, the project will provide the critical ancillary services as the UK makes its energy transition.
The system will be managed by Conrad Energy's internal operations team and will be traded on the market for electricity. In April 2022, Conrad Energy acquired software company TGG Solutions to further develop its internal optimization capability.
Going forward, Conrad Energy will expand its battery energy storage portfolio in the UK. It has entered into an agreement with Close Brother to provide £85 million in funding for eight battery energy storage projects across the country.
Additionally, Conrad Energy obtained a permit to set up a 15MW battery energy storage project in February 2023. Earlier in September 2022, the company had been greenlighted to develop another energy storage project in Somerset County.