Energisation of a new 20MW/40MWh battery at Farnham has been delayed by several weeks because the local distribution network operator (DNO) cannot allow for the grid outage necessary to make the connection in the current high energy demand environment, according to the battery owner Harmony Energy Income Trust. Harmony said all the battery modules are on site at Farnham and construction is on track but the energisation date has been rescheduled from late Q1 to Q2 and “This is expected to move the commercial operations date back by several weeks”.
However, a 11MW/22MWh project at Broadditch is on schedule to be energised by the end of January, with commercial operations commencing before the end of February.
At the 98MW/196MWh Pillswood project – currently said by Harmony to be Europe’s largest – phase 1 commenced operations in November and is fully active across wholesale markets, while Phase 2 commenced operations in December and is expected to achieve qualification for ancillary services in the coming days.
Harmony detailed volatile prices in energy markets, with the highest ever wholesale day-ahead price recorded on 12 December at £2,585/MWh. It said Pillswood Phase 1 achieved £156 / MW/hr revenues over this day, equivalent to £1.37M per MW annualised and more than three times the average performance of the operating battery fleet in Great Britain. A new record low price of £-50.08 /MWh on 29 December was caused by very high wind generation coinciding with unusually low overnight demand. Pillswood Phase 1 was paid to charge between 2 am and 4 am that day before discharging later during that evening peak when pricing was higher.
Harmony now has 494.4MW/988.8MWh of battery assets already operating or planned to go into operation by 3Q 2024.