Global clean energy enterprise TagEnergy’s second and current largest capacity UK battery storage facility is up and running following the completion of construction on its 49.5MW/99MWh standalone energy storage system at Chapel Farm near Luton, England.

The £30m development is a joint venture between TagEnergy and Yorkshire-headquartered Harmony Energy. After TagEnergy acquired a 60% stake in the project in November 2021, the green energy initiative was supported by a £12.5m funding package from another project partner, Santander UK. Construction commenced following financial close in March 2022.

Now live, Chapel Farm is using a system of Tesla Megapack lithium-ion batteries, together with Tesla’s Autobidder AI software for real-time trading and control. Leading independent renewable energy company RES is overseeing operations as asset manager.

Chapel Farm is the second TagEnergy renewable energy project to go online from its growing portfolio of close to 4GW in five countries – the UK, Spain, Portugal, France and Australia.

Its first UK facility to go live, the 20MW/40MWh Hawkers Hill Energy Park near Shaftesbury in Dorset, England, began operating in September 2022, following TagEnergy’s UK market entry in 2021.

Franck Woitiez, Chief Executive Officer, TagEnergy said the export of the first MWh from the new build Chapel Farm facility is yet another proof point in TagEnergy’s unwavering mission to accelerate the energy transition with renewables-led projects.

“We are proud to work alongside our valued partner Harmony Energy and leverage our battery storage expertise to bring this important project to fruition quickly as we continue to drive momentum towards net-zero carbon emissions,” Mr Woitiez said.

“Importantly, with more than double the operational capacity of our first live facility, Chapel Farm will provide a significant clean energy boost to the national grid and help grow renewables’ share of it. Our increased ability to capture, store and release renewable energy will support delivery of a more flexible and reliable supply of low-cost electricity for consumers at this critical time for the market,” he said.

Peter Kavanagh, Harmony Energy’s CEO and Co-Founder, said: “The completion and energisation of the Chapel Farm scheme is another significant milestone for us especially as it is the first JV project we have delivered with TagEnergy which has been a great partner.”

“Battery energy storage systems are essential to unlocking the full potential of renewable energy in the UK. These projects are not reliant upon taxpayer subsidy and will play a major role in contributing to the Net Zero transition, as well as ensuring the future security of the UK’s energy supply and reduced reliance on foreign gas imports.”

Mark Cumbo, Director, Infrastructure & Renewable Energy, Santander UK said: “We’re delighted to have supported the Chapel Farm project with a structured debt solution and to now see that the asset has reached its operational phase. Battery assets, such as Chapel Farm, are a key enabler for the increasing penetration of renewable energy generation assets and to the UK meeting its Net Zero target.”

Together, Chapel Farm and Hawkers Hill give TagEnergy a combined clean energy operational capacity of 69.6MW/139MWh in the UK.

Energy Storage capacity from TagEnergy’s first two live projects, together with its other sites under construction, will bolster the UK grid by more than 350MW over the next two years alone.