The next phase of the regeneration of Broken Cross in South Lanarkshire is powering ahead following a deal with Alcemi, a leading battery energy storage developer, which paves the way for a major new battery energy storage project.

The news follows planning approval for up to 1 GW energy storage facility – one of the largest projects of its type in Europe.

The agreement between Alcemi and Hargreaves Land sees development set to forge ahead on a 25-acre plot of land, which is located near Junction 11 of the M74 motorway, approximately 30 miles south of Glasgow.

Investment in new battery energy storage systems (BESS) are seen as one of the most effective ways to secure wider energy decarbonisation, as the UK’s energy market continues to evolve rapidly, largely due to Net Zero targets.

Alcemi’s development director, James Forster, said: “This is a fantastic achievement for Alcemi and advances our mission to facilitate the UK’s transition to clean energy. These projects will provide stability to the grid, limit network constraints, and are vital to maximising our offshore wind generation. They are a key component to ensuring renewable energy is transported across the country.”

Broken Cross is the site of a former coal mine owned by Hargreaves Land in a multi-million-pound initiative that includes the installation of a new infrastructure.

Andrew Johnson, head of asset management at Hargreaves Land, added: “We are pleased to be working with Alcemi in bringing forward this initiative, which sees the continued transformation of Scotland’s former coal mines, new investment, the creation of jobs and a boost for the local economy.”

Current projections by National Grid, based on their 2023 Future Energy Scenarios modelling, show that from a current 2022 installed BESS capacity of around 2.8 GW, the installed BESS capacity could be between 12.2 to 25.0 GW (i.e. up to nine times the 2022 installed capacity) by 2035.

An installed capacity of 1 GW (i.e. 1,000 MW) would deliver the following benefits: 

For further details on this project, please contact Andy Johnson.