SAE and Econergy partner on five-hour battery storage project in the UK

SAE and Econergy International have formed a joint venture to develop the Afon Wysg 2 (AW2) battery storage project at the Uskmouth Sustainable Energy Park (USEP) in the UK, the companies announced on May 15.

The 250 MW project is being designed for up to five hours of duration, potentially providing 1,250 MWh of energy storage capacity. This represents a significant step toward longer-duration battery storage systems in the UK market, where most operational projects typically feature one to two hour durations.

According to the timeline shared by the companies, the partners aim to secure planning permission within the next 12 months and reach financial close in 2027.

The AW2 project, should it go ahead, will be the third battery storage installation at the USEP site, which is emerging as one of the UK’s largest battery storage hubs with over 1 GW of projects either in development or construction. The former Uskmouth Power Station is being repurposed into a sustainable energy park under SAE’s ownership. A video of the site can be seen here.

“This partnership is an ideal fit for both parties and for the project,” said SAE CEO Graham Reid. “We have a clear strategy to be an independent power producer, and we are delighted to be partnering with a company that has the same strategy.”

The joint venture brings together SAE’s experience in developing renewable energy and battery storage projects in the UK with Econergy’s expertise in battery storage construction and financing.

Joshua Murphy, Econergy’s Head of Energy Storage, called the partnership “a strategic milestone in Econergy’s continued expansion in the UK energy storage market.”

Econergy Group maintains a project pipeline exceeding 14 GW across European markets including the UK, Italy, Spain, Romania, Poland, and Greece. SAE owns the MeyGen tidal stream project in addition to the Uskmouth site.