An energy storage plant in Fife has been brought into operation in a move that will help secure a £400,000 boost to revenues for the firm that developed it.
Harmony Energy Income Trust announced that the Little Raith Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) site at Lochgelly has been "energised".
The start of operations comes in time to allow Little Raith to capitalise on strong demand for storage amid high wind generation rates.
It is expected that battery storage sites such as Little Raith could help to tackle the challenges posed by the fact the amount of power generated by wind farms depends on weather conditions.
Some output generated at times of relatively low output has been wasted due to the lack of storage facilities. BESS plants can store energy for use when needed.
Harmony Energy Income Trust has five such plants in operation, including Little Raith and the Bumpers facility in Buchinghamshire, which also went live this month.
The trust noted the two new operational facilities can store enough energy to power around 450,000 homes for two hours in total.
“The projects will provide critical balancing services to the GB electricity grid network whilst also enabling the replacement of fossil fuels with renewable energy,” it told investors.
The trust sells BESS storage capacity to energy suppliers under the Capacity Market scheme.
It said: “The early energisations of Bumpers and Little Raith has allowed the Company to procure an additional £403k of revenue (not previously budgeted) by acquiring additional T-1 Capacity Market contract capacity.”
The trust noted that demand for storage capacity increased in September amid high wind generation.
The trust brought its first BESS facility into operation in November at Pillswood near Hull. It reckons this is the largest in Europe in terms of capacity.
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This month Banks Renewables unveiled plans to build a £100 million battery storage plant near Bathgate in West Lothian.
Harmony Energy Income Trust shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange.
The shares closed down 1.5p at 75.4p yesterday.
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