Almost 5 GWh of grid-scale battery energy storage is installed in Great Britain, with over 3 GWh installed in the last two years. 19 different companies have supplied the battery containers for these systems.
So, which companies have supplied the most capacity, where are the battery cells for these systems coming from, and how is the landscape changing?
- Tesla has provided the largest proportion of total energy capacity installed at 1.1 GWh.
- BYD, CATL, and Sungrow have supplied an additional 1.5 GWh of battery energy capacity from China - with the region accounting for 60% of all battery cell capacity.
- Tesla and CATL have supplied battery systems for the most sites (23) and the largest capacity (1.7 GWh) since 2022, the same capacity as much as all other companies combined.
- Tesla, Wartsila, Sungrow, and Fluence are the largest fully integrated battery energy storage systems providers.
First up, let’s establish some terminology that will be used throughout the rest of this article.
What do we mean by battery cell manufacturer? These are the companies that make battery cells, the electrochemical component of a battery that stores the electrical energy. It’s the part of batteries that determines the energy capacity (MWh).
What do we mean by battery energy storage system (BESS) supplier? These are the companies that supply containerized battery systems made up of battery cells and other equipment. They are the focus of this article.
And what is an integrator? Integrators are responsible for the equipment and software that tie the various components of a battery energy storage system together. This includes key equipment like the inverter, which determines the rated power of the battery (MW).
Tesla is the largest battery energy storage provider, but Chinese companies dominate cell supply
Tesla, BYD, and CATL are the three largest suppliers of battery energy storage systems in Great Britain. Tesla (1,150 MWh) accounts for 90% of the market share from companies based in North America.
Meanwhile, BYD (686 MWh) and CATL (663 MWh) are the largest suppliers of battery units from China, comprising 72% of battery supply to date from the region. BYD was one of the earliest entrants to the market and has supplied the most individual battery units (26) of all companies.
South Korean manufacturers LG Chem and Samsung SDI were also among the first entrants into the market in Britain, accounting for 420 MWh and 370 MWh of installed capacity respectively.
Despite the dominance of Tesla in the supply of battery systems, Chinese manufacturers are responsible for the majority of the cell capacity installed in Great Britain. 72% of battery cell capacity in operational battery energy storage systems comes from Chinese companies - 2.3 GWh from CATL alone.
Cells from South Korea make up a further 1 GWh, or 26%, of installed battery cell capacity. Battery cells from Japan (1.2%) and Europe (1%) make up the remainder.
Tesla and CATL have dominated new battery capacity since 2022
Between 2017 and 2022, the battery market was primarily provided by BYD, LG Chem, and Samsung. These manufacturers supplied 1 GWh, or 74%, of all battery capacity commissioned across that timeframe. At some points, they accounted for up to 85% of operational battery capacity.
However, since 2022, Tesla and CATL have dominated new capacity additions, providing 1.7 GWh of installed capacity between them. That’s more than all other cell manufacturers combined and accounts for 53% of all capacity commissioned since 2022.