Energy storage accelerates a clean electric future in the UK

Pivot Power, UK

2 x 50 MW / 50 MWh

The UK has an ambitious goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to be net-zero by 2050. Wärtsilä’s experience in energy storage and complex multi-application systems resulted in offering a new solution in the UK market: deploying the GridSolv solution, incorporated with GEMS software, to integrate with electric vehicle (EV) charging stations along UK grid and motorways. GEMS dynamically adjusts according to the demands of the markets across multiple revenue streams, allowing Pivot Power to both manage and optimise a fleet of large-scale energy storage systems and renewable assets under a single portfolio. These storage projects have created an infrastructure that can scale to accommodate projected growth in and the switch to electric vehicles throughout the UK.

At Pivot Power, we are committed to enabling a clean electric future and accelerating the expansion of electric vehicles across the UK. These Wärtsilä energy storage systems allow us to harness cutting-edge technology to future-proof our investments in a changing energy market, supporting our long-term goal to reduce the UK’s carbon footprint and bring us closer to net zero.
Adrien Lebrun, Engineering Director at Pivot Power

THE CHALLENGE

Provide grid balancing services to the UK National Grid

Integrate renewables

Support transition towards low-carbon infrastructure

WÄRTSILÄ'S SOLUTION

Adding reliability to the grid via sophisticated storage and EV design

Grid-balancing services to ensure the reliability of electricity generation and supply across the UK grid

Future-proofing of assets under a single portfolio

BENEFIT

Reduces carbon footprint in the UK

Enables the growing share of renewables

Greater National Grid stability and flexibility

Main data

Customer	Pivot Power
Site size	2 x 50MW / 50MWh
Site locations	Cowley, Oxford Kemsley, Kent
Applications	Balancing services for the UK National Grid, including: Frequency response Electricity market trading Reactive power and electric vehicle charging services
Scope of services	Engineered equipment delivery (EEQ)
Lifecycle solution	10-year service agreement with performance guarantees
Delivery	2020

The latest Wärtsilä deployment in the UK leverages energy storage to accelerate renewable transport investment towards a net zero target. Wärtsilä customer Pivot Power has developed a network of fast-charging electric vehicle (EV) stations along UK motorways and the National Grid.

Expand all

Read the whole story
The integration of grid-scale batteries with the charging stations provides grid balancing services, plus the sophisticated GEMS software focuses on performance optimisation for both renewable—energy storage and EV charging stations—and traditional power sources. These systems provide several services—such as frequency regulation—and for each service, generate a different value stream. GEMS’ data-based intelligence optimises the suite of ancillary services to support the grid, and in doing so, helps generate revenue, enabling Pivot Power to benefit from multiple revenue streams, while also supplying balancing services for the UK National Grid.

The deployment of these two systems showcases Wärtsilä’s competencies in optimising energy systems and combining multiple power generation assets into a flexible and reliable solution that can dynamically adjust according to the demands of the market, optimising the energy produced. As the global market, and, in particular UK clean energy goals, moves towards more flexible and sustainable energy systems, storage will continue to provide the needed flexibility and reliability to support renewables and their integration.

THE CHALLENGE
- Enable Pivot Power, Wärtsilä’s customer, to support a cost-effective and dependable energy system towards a net zero target, and provide grid balancing services to the UK National Grid.
- Pivot Power is a UK-based company focused on developing the world’s largest transmission-connect battery storage and electric vehicle charging network, with the goal to develop an infrastructure to accelerate the UK’s transition to lower carbon electricity and transport.
- The UK has an ambitious goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to be completely net-zero by 2050. As a result, the solution must deliver flexibility, reliability and support increased renewable energy integration—the adoption of wind and solar—into the National Grid.
WÄRTSILÄ’S SOLUTION
- Wärtsilä’s experience in energy storage and complex multi-application systems resulted in offering a new solution in the UK market: deploying two 50 MW / 50MWh lithium-ion energy storage projects as part of Pivot Power’s development of grid-scale energy storage and rapid electric car charging network across the UK, directly connected to the UK National Grid.
- The systems are based on Wärtsilä’s advanced GEMS energy management software platform, which leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to enable the intelligent management of large-scale energy storage systems, and innovative GridSolv storage solution, which supports stand-alone energy storage deployments and integrated hybrids with renewable generation assets.
- GEMS dynamically adjusts according to the demands of the markets across multiple revenue streams, allowing Pivot Power to both manage and optimise a fleet of large-scale energy storage systems and renewable assets under a single portfolio.
- Additionally, the solution is a hybrid energy storage system, with GEMS integrating another battery storage technology to make it one of the first grid scale energy storage systems in the world utilising continuously two battery chemistries at one site.
- The Oxford project site introduces an innovative space saving solution for constrained site areas.
- The solution integrates sophisticated technology, a system of batteries, with renewable energy and charging stations. In addition to frequency response capabilities, this unique pairing enables the delivery of EV charging and reactive power services needed in the UK balancing markets, plus offers electricity market trading opportunities.
BENEFIT
- These storage projects have created an infrastructure that can scale to accommodate projected growth in the switch to electric vehicles throughout the UK.
- The versatility of GEMS to manage and operate various assets—storage, EV—needed in the UK energy balancing markets also ensures the future-proofing of the assets.
- The projects will provide flexibility and reliability to support the increased renewable energy capacity on the grid and the infrastructure needed to accelerate electric vehicles in 2020, described as ‘the year of the electric car’ by industry analysts.