Revera takes final investment decision on 800 MWh BESS near former UK nuclear plants

Revera Energy has taken final investment decision on a 400 MW/800 MWh BESS project in North Ayrshire, Scotland, with construction expected to begin in the third quarter of 2026.

Hunterston is one of three major BESS projects Revera Energy is progressing in Scotland with combined capacity of 1 GW/2 GWh. The Carlyle-backed developer reached financial close on its 200 MW/400 MWh Windyhill battery storage project in Glasgow in February 2026, and construction is now underway. The developer expects construction to begin at its 400 MW/800 MWh Kincardine BESS in Fife in the first quarter of 2027.

The three BESS projects represent more than GBP 500 million ($671 million) of investment in energy storage across Scotland. All three battery storage projects are expected to connect directly to Great Britain’s transmission network, according to grid operator NESO’s transmission entry capacity (TEC) register. Construction of a 400 kV substation for the Hunterston BESS is in progress, according to the developer’s website.

The Hunterston BESS site is located within 2 km of the 1.2 GW Hunterston B nuclear power plant, which ceased generating in 2022. Decommissioning work at Hunterston A began in 1990. Revera Energy has claimed the location means Hunterston BESS will be well positioned to deliver constraint management and grid stability services to the broader network.

Hunterston is not the only nuclear site in Scotland with a grid-scale BESS project in development nearby. Kona Energy secured planning approval from the Scottish government’s energy consents unit in 2024 for a project near the 1.2 GW Torness nuclear plant in East Lothian, which is set to be shuttered in 2028.

Daniel Kim, CEO of Revera Energy said reaching final investment decision on the Hunterston project was an important milestone for the developer’s Scottish portfolio.

Richard Hoskins, managing director at Carlyle’s infrastructure group, said that the scale of investment in Revera’s Scottish portfolio reflected the company’s commitment to Scotland, “and the opportunities we see to support critical grid infrastructure, local economic growth and long-term value creation for communities and investors across the country.”

Revera estimates its GBP 500 million investment in Scottish BESS projects will support around 550 direct construction jobs as well as 45 long-term operational roles. First Minister of Scotland John Swinney welcomed the investment, describing it as a “vote of confidence in the country’s skills, economic policies and energy future.”

“This is one of the largest battery storage portfolios being built anywhere in the UK, and it demonstrates that Scotland is an internationally competitive destination for clean energy infrastructure investment,” Swinney said.

Global investment firm Carlyle launched Revera Energy in May 2025 as an investment vehicle focused on developing, building, owning and operating energy infrastructure projects, including a portfolio of projects carved out and acquired from Amp Energy.