IPP Statera Energy and developer Carlton Power have entered an agreement allowing Statera Energy to build a 680MW battery energy storage system (BESS).
Carlton Power has entered into a leasehold agreement with Statera for the land set to host the 680MW BESS. The project forms part of the Trafford Low Carbon Energy Park, which is located on the former site of a coal-fired power station eight miles southwest of Manchester.
In 2023, Carlton Power was granted planning consent to develop up to 2GW of BESS on the site, and now Statera Energy will progress with plans to construct a 680MW BESS there.
The 680MW Carrington Storage proposal is Statera Energy’s largest consented BESS project to date, and once fully energised in 2026 is expected to be one of the largest BESS developments in Europe. Statera Energy currently has 1GW of UK BESS projects either operational or under construction, and as of this announcement, has a consented BESS pipeline of 1370MW.
Carlton Power has several other planned developments for the 12-hectare Trafford Low Carbon Energy Park, including an agreement for Highview Power to build a £300 million liquid air energy storage (LAES) project onsite. In 2022, Carlton Power landed planning consent for an up to 200MW green hydrogen production facility, which has secured a financial support contract from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). The first 15MW phase of the Trafford Green Hydrogen facility is targeted to begin operation in the next two years.
Keith Clarke, Carlton Power’s CEO, said: “Our agreement with Statera Energy is a further step in the development of the Trafford Low Carbon Energy Park. Trafford is becoming a beacon for low carbon energy in the North West of England, helping to strengthen the security and resilience of the energy system in the region and further support the region’s energy transition.”
“The investment in the Trafford Low Carbon Energy Park over the next two to five years demonstrates Carlton Power’s long-term vision and commitment to the Trafford site, and we are actively exploring further options to fully realise the strategic benefits of the Trafford facility.”
Statera on the rise
The newly acquired Carrington Storage project is over double the size of Statera’s upcoming Thurrock Storage project, a 300MW/600MWh BESS development combined with a 450MW flexible gas generation development.
In November last year, Statera Energy announced that it had achieved financial close on the Essex-based Thurrock project, thanks to a £395 million finance package from a syndicate of banking majors. Some of the well-known names involved in the deal include Lloyds Bank, which served as the structuring bank for the deal, alongside Natixis, NatWest, Santander, SEB, and Siemens Financial Services through Siemens Bank. This follows a previous £144 million debt financing deal secured in November 2023 in the form of a term loan, a VAT facility, and a liquidity facility.
Construction on the Thurrock project is currently underway, and the project is expected to be delivering energy to the UK grid from early this year.
Statera Energy also achieved a major planning win in August of 2024, when the company was granted planning consent for a 400MW/2.4GWh BESS project in Weymouth, Devon. Despite local controversy and concerns around the potential fire risk, the project was approved by a six to two vote at a Dorset Council meeting.
