Renewable energy developer RES has secured an asset management contract for a 70MW solar-plus-storage project near Bristol.
RES already provides operation and maintenance services to the solar PV power plant and has been its asset manager for around a year. It will now also manage the battery energy storage system (BESS) to oversee its operational performance.
The Larks Green project, owned by developer and independent power producer (IPP) Cero Generation, became the first of its kind to be connected to the transmission network in the UK, the company claimed.
Larks Green comprises 70MW of solar PV generation and a co-located 49.5MW/99MWh battery energy storage system (BESS). The project has a 120MW grid connection, which, as commercial manager Patrick O’Connor told Energy-Storage.news, means “the BESS is not competing with the solar for export capacity”.
Robert Mattholie, head of solar and storage asset management, Northern Europe at RES, said: “As the UK accelerates its shift to net-zero, projects like Larks Green underline the importance of integrating cutting-edge technologies with experienced partners to deliver sustainable energy solutions.
“This project demonstrates the potential of co-located renewable energy and storage systems to strengthen the UK’s energy resilience. We are delighted to partner with Cero Generation to ensure Larks Green operates efficiently and reliably, setting a benchmark for the future of renewable energy infrastructure.”
Rabobank financed both the BESS and the solar PV elements. Cero Generation and its UK development partner Enso Energy said that working on the project has established long-term partnerships with Canadian Solar, the lead on the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) for the battery, and EDF, the battery performance optimiser.
To connect the solar PV facility to the transmission network, Cero and Enso, in collaboration with National Grid, installed new switchgear at the site. A high-voltage cable also connected the solar farm to the Iron Acton substation near Bristol.
The partnership between Enso and Cero was originally signed between Enso and Macquarie’s Green Investment Group (GIG), before GIG launched Cero and consolidated its existing and future European solar activities, including the UK pipeline, into the new developer.
