Habitat Energy to operate 40 MW Greenfield Road energy storage

UK start-up Habitat Energy will operate and manage the 40-MW Greenfield Road battery storage facility in the UK on behalf of clean energy asset investor Arlington Energy.

Habitat Energy will provide optimization services for the installation using its algorithmic trading platform and facilitate its marketing. The system will be registered as a balancing mechanism (BM) unit

In June 2019, Smith Brothers Contracting Ltd has commenced construction work at a battery site on Greenfield Road, Bedford. The independent connection provider (ICP), will oversee all private, contestable, and EPC works relating to the 40MW assignment – from initial design, through to final commissioning. Construction will take place between May and October 2019 – with a focus on achieving energization prior to the onset of Greenwich Mean Time. 

The EPC works include the procurement, delivery, installation and commissioning of 22, 40ft long battery containers – as well as the construction of a solid base for each – along with the fitting of 66 inverters (PCS) and 11 auxiliary transformers.

Once complete, the development will be connected to UK Power Networks (UKPN) via 800m of cabling. Additionally, project-specific SCADA panels will enable the customer to remotely control the entire site.

Contestable works include the design and build of a 132kV outdoor substation – including associated infrastructure – as well as the construction, supply, assembly and commissioning of the necessary protection panels.

The private elements of the 33kV outdoor substation meanwhile, includes the design and construction of two transformer bunds, installation of post insulators, surge arrestors, NER and a set of a single switch disconnectors.