Thrive Renewables has acquired the rights to its second battery storage project. The 20MW battery on Feeder Road in Bristol will offer flexibility, delivering 20-40MWh (one to two hours). Thrive is now working to identify partners for the construction phase which is expected to complete in spring 2022. Bristol developers Aura Power developed the project.
Feeder Road will participate in wholesale market trading and future capacity market auctions. It will also provide frequency response and balancing services to the National Grid and the local distribution network.
Thrive already has wind and hydro investments and in 2020, it invested in geothermal, solar and more hydro projects.
Monika Paplaczyk, investment director at Thrive Renewables said: “Thrive’s portfolio reflects how the energy system is changing to allow renewables to be used more widely. Battery storage projects like Feeder Road will enable further deployment of wind and solar generation. Our hydro and forthcoming geothermal projects will provide more baseload renewable electricity. Together these types of technology will provide the backbone of the resilient, renewables dominated electricity grid the country needs going forward.”
Thrive formed a joint venture with Aura Power two years ago to develop ‘behind the meter’ battery projects for I&C customers. Thrive has acquired Aura’s share in that joint venture and said it was using it to invest in front of the meter battery storage projects like Feeder Road, as this is where the immediate opportunities are. But it added, “In the long term we want to see more behind the meter battery and solar projects”.
Bristol headquartered law firm TLT and renewables consultancy Everoze are advising Thrive on the project.
Further reading
Thrive takes stake in geothermal power plant
Bristol Energy signs new deal with Thrive
Thrive picks up new subsidy-free wind project
Thrive Renewables and Aura Power to site batteries on I&C sites and share revenues