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10 Jul 2024
Shaniyaa Holness-Mckenzie

The buildout report: Will Q2 be the final quarterly low of 2024?

Q2 of 2024 saw the lowest quarterly buildout since 2022. 136 MW of new-build battery energy storage began commercial operations in Great Britain.

This brought the total rated power of battery systems in Great Britain to 4 GW. The new capacity, along with some upgrades to existing sites, brought the total energy capacity in Great Britain to 5.3 GWh.

Shaniyaa talks through the new battery capacity operational in Q2 2024

Main headlines from Q2 2024:

  • 136 MW of new build capacity began commercial operations in Q2 2024, the lowest quarterly increase in almost two years
  • The new capacity came from four new battery energy storage systems
  • These systems ranged from 16 MW to 50 MW in rated power and one to two hours in duration
  • 1.4 GW of battery projects that are not yet operational hold Capacity Market contracts starting in October. 1.1 GW is expected to be operational by the end of Q3.
  • However, we project that between 150 - 430 MW of new build capacity will actually become commercially operational in Q3.

Total buildout so far in 2024 is less than the lowest quarter in 2023

Total new capacity from the first half of 2024 was 320 MW - less than the lowest quarter of 2023.

Throughout this article, there will be references to the battery energy storage ‘pipeline’ and buildout ‘projections.’

  • Pipeline: The list of assets expected to be built in Great Britain. Each of these has an expected quarter in which it will become commercially operational.
  • Projection: A calculation of how much capacity will likely come online based on the rate of new capacity installed in previous quarters.

In addition to the new power capacity from batteries beginning commercial operation in Q2, the total battery energy capacity also increased with upgrades to existing assets.

Gresham House completed the augmentation of three of its sites. In April, the fund converted its 35 MW Arbroath site to 1.4 hours, up from one hour. In June, it also augmented the two 50 MW sites, Enderby and West Didsbury. These sites increased from one-hour units to two-hours.

This means that the total rated power of batteries in Great Britain was 4 GW at the end of Q2 2024, and the total energy capacity was 5.3 GWh.

Four new batteries begin commercial operations in Q2 2024

Between April and June 2024, four units began commercial operations. This includes the first site from SSE - the 50 MW / 100 MWh Salisbury - as well as the first site from Atlantic Green - the 16 MW / 32 MWh Buxton.

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Modo_Energy_Battery_Pipeline_Q3_2024_-_Q3_2027.xlsx

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