{"id":287,"date":"2025-09-05T10:41:43","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T02:41:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hajomech.com\/natpower-uk-to-build-first-bess-with-port-electrification\/"},"modified":"2025-09-05T10:41:43","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T02:41:43","slug":"natpower-uk-to-build-first-bess-with-port-electrification","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.hajomech.com\/natpower-uk-to-build-first-bess-with-port-electrification\/","title":{"rendered":"NatPower UK to build first BESS with port electrification"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

NatPower UK has secured an agreement with Sembcorp Utilities UK Limited for <\/p>\n

a 32-acre site at Wilton International in Redcar, where it will deliver the UK\u2019s <\/p>\n

first utility-scale grid storage project which combines dedicated port <\/p>\n

electrification infrastructure.<\/p>\n

\"NatPower<\/p>\n

The project will feature a 1-gigawatt (GW) \/ 8 gigawatt-hour (GWh) <\/p>\n

lithium-ion Battery Energy Storage System (BESS).<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

It represents one of the highest-capacity and longest-duration storage <\/p>\n

projects in the UK.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

As the UK faces grid bottlenecks, an estimated \u00a33.5 billion ($4.7 billion) <\/p>\n

a year in wasted clean energy due to curtailment, and rising industrial energy <\/p>\n

costs, NatPower is responding with its \u00a31 billion ($1.35 billion) Teesside <\/p>\n

GigaPark.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The project will reportedly deliver one of the UK\u2019s most advanced battery <\/p>\n

storage facilities (BESS), designed to power both industry and ports while <\/p>\n

enabling marine electrification.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

It will also reportedly create around 200 construction jobs, generate <\/p>\n

long-term skilled employment, and invest \u00a32 million ($2.7 million) annually in <\/p>\n

the local community.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Teesside GigaPark will operate at four hours\u2019 storage capacity (4 GWh) <\/p>\n

initially, with potential to double to eight hours (8 GWh).<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

This level of duration and capacity combined has not been delivered before <\/p>\n

in the UK, where most BESS developments operate at one to two hours, reported <\/p>\n

NatPower UK.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Stefano D.M. Sommadossi, CEO of NatPower UK and NatPower Marine, said: <\/p>\n

\u201cTeesside, our most advanced GigaPark, located at Wilton International, will be <\/p>\n

the blueprint for how we combine high-capacity renewable energy storage with the <\/p>\n

electrification of ports and industry.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cWithin five years, we can transform one of the UK\u2019s most important <\/p>\n

industrial hubs into a net-zero economic powerhouse and then replicate this <\/p>\n

model in ports across the globe.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

NatPower will build and operate the site to connect it to the grid by 2028. <\/p>\n

NatPower is designing the infrastructure from the outset to power ships at berth <\/p>\n

(cold ironing) and recharge electric propulsion systems for future vessel <\/p>\n

types.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Teesside GigaPark\u2019s BESS will reportedly be one of the most advanced in <\/p>\n

the UK, and engineers have designed it to keep the grid balanced as the nation <\/p>\n

transitions to clean energy.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

With electricity demand forecast to rise by 50 per cent by 2050 and an <\/p>\n

extra 15 per cent expected from shipping electrification, the UK grid faces <\/p>\n

unprecedented pressure.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The multi-gigawatt system will store surplus renewable electricity from <\/p>\n

offshore wind and other generators when production is high, then release it <\/p>\n

instantly during periods of peak demand or low generation.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

This capability will help the system actively reduce the curtailment of <\/p>\n

renewable energy.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

This same clean, flexible power will now reportedly enable the potential <\/p>\n

for decarbonising UK shipping at Teesside.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Once operational, the BESS infrastructure will make it possible to provide <\/p>\n

shore power to ships for cold ironing at berth, eliminating emissions while <\/p>\n

docked, at anchor, and for electric propulsion while operating near-shore.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Mike Patrick, CEO of Sembcorp Energy UK, said: \u201cWe are pleased to support <\/p>\n

NatPower to bring one of the UK\u2019s most advanced battery energy storage projects <\/p>\n

to Wilton International.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cWith its robust grid infrastructure, Wilton International offers the ideal <\/p>\n

platform for scaling long-duration battery storage and supporting maritime <\/p>\n

electrification. This project further strengthens Wilton International\u2019s role as <\/p>\n

a strategic site for low-carbon innovation, driving the UK\u2019s journey towards a <\/p>\n

net-zero future.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Earlier this May, UK Power Networks planned to launch its project, <\/p>\n

\u201cElectric Thames\u201d, which aimed to transform the maritime sector by drastically <\/p>\n

reducing its carbon emissions.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NatPower UK has secured an agreement with Sembcorp Utilities UK Limited for a 32-acre site at Wilton International in Redcar, where it will deliver the UK\u2019s first utility-scale grid storage project which combines dedicated port electrification infrastructure.The project will feature a 1-gigawatt…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"hj_lang":[3],"class_list":["post-287","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.hajomech.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.hajomech.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.hajomech.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.hajomech.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.hajomech.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=287"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.hajomech.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.hajomech.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=287"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.hajomech.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=287"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.hajomech.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=287"},{"taxonomy":"hj_lang","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.hajomech.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hj_lang?post=287"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}