UK deals: $132m long-duration BESS for Northern Ireland and a 420 MWh delivery for Drax

Solo Renewbles has secured GBP 100 million ($132 million) of investment from a Swiss private asset manager to deliver a long-duration energy storage (LDES) project in Northern Ireland.

The 150 MW/1,200 MWh eight-hour battery project is among one of the first large-scale LDES storage sites to be developed in the Irish Single Electricity Market. The project secured local council planning approval in February 2026 – six months after applying for approval according to the developer.

Andrew Hutchinson, director at Solo Renewables, said the quick planning approval reflected the strength of the project and local understanding that Islandmagee “is one of the most strategically important locations in the all-island energy network.”

Project investor Capital Dynamics and Solo Renewbales are now expected to work with local authorities and stakeholders to progress the project as quickly as possible.

Barney Coles, senior managing director and co-head of clean energy at Capital Dynamics said the Islandmagee LDES project represents and important step in deploying long-duration storage infrastructure needed in Northern Ireland’s evolving energy system. “We look forward to working with Solo Renewables, our partners, and with the system operator to enable infrastructure that supports a reliable, secure and increasingly low-carbon energy system for Northern Ireland.”

Canadian deal making

Across the Irish sea, Drax Group has continued to develop its BESS business through a new agreement with Canadian Solar. Subsidiary company E-storage will deliver a total of 420 MWh AC of BESS to Drax for two projects in Great Britain.

E-storage battery systems will be delivered to the 60 MW/120 MWh AC Marfleet BESS in England and a 150 MW/ 300 MWh AC installation in Neilston, Scotland. Both projects are being developed by UK energy infrastructure company Apatura, but have been acquired by Drax Group as the business increases its exposure to the UK battery storage market.

Installation work at the Marfleet BESS is expected to commence in the third quarter of 2026, with installation work on the Neilston project expected in early 2027.

Lee Dawes, chief operations officer of Drax Group said the company looks forward to working with E-storage and Apatura on the development of the BESS assets.

“This is our first investment in short-duration storage, and these assets will complement our existing generation portfolio,” Dawes said.

Colin Parkin, president of Canadian Solar and president of e-STORAGE, added, “This collaboration with Drax and Apatura reflects our shared commitment to advancing a more flexible and resilient energy system in the UK.”