CIP commissions Europe’s ‘largest operational battery’ in Scotland

The 500 MW/1 GWh Coalburn 1 BESS has entered commercial operations at a former coal mining site in Scotland, according to CIP. The developer claims the project is now the largest operational BESS in Europe.

Construction at the Coalburn 1 site in South Lanarkshire, near Glasgow, began in November 2023 according to CIP’s local development partner Alcemi. CIP divested 50% of the project to insurer Axa IM Alts in April 2025.

Revenues for Coalburn 1 will include a 10-year optimization agreement with SSE, plus a 15-year capacity market contract covering 300 MW of power output, plus a seven-year contract covering 75 MW. The project will be managed by independent renewables company RES, which signed an agreement in July 2025 to manage the site.

Coalburn 1 is the first in a trio of 1 GWh BESS projects CIP is developing in Scotland. Coalburn 2 and Devilla are also being built as transmission-connected assets. Battery technology provider e-STORAGE, a subsidiary of Canadian Solar, is supplying all three projects. The fund divested a stake in Devilla in June, sharing risk with outside funds.

Nischal Agarwal, partner at CIP, said the successful delivery of Coalburn 1 was an important milestone for the renewables investor.

“As Europe’s largest operational battery energy storage system, Coalburn 1 will enhance the flexibility and resilience of the UK electricity system, support the integration of more renewable power, and contribute to lowering costs for consumers. Alongside Coalburn 2 and Devilla this project demonstrates CIP’s industrial capabilities in developing, commercializing and delivering energy infrastructure at scale.”

CIP is working on a portfolio of battery storage facilities in the United Kingdom with local partner Alcemi. Including Coalburn 1, the portfolio consists of seven grid-scale BESS projects with a combined power output of 4.3 GW.