National Grid starts work on Blackburn Meadows mega-battery

WORK has begun on a huge battery at a biomass power plant, Blackburn Meadows, to keep supplies stable for feeding the National Grid.

The 10MW battery - as big as four shipping containers - will be able to hold the same amount of energy as 500,000 mobile phones.

The E.ON system will be one of the first of its kind in commercial use when it is completed later this year.

It will manage energy at times of over or under-supply and is expected to save the National Grid £200 million a year.

David Topping, director of business heat and power solutions at E.ON, said: “This is a milestone for E.ON in the new energy world and an important recognition of the enormous potential for battery solutions in the UK.

“Blackburn Meadows is already a real example of the new energy world, a renewable energy plant that provides both electricity to the grid and a more sustainable and affordable source of heating and hot water to local homes and businesses.

“Batteries at this scale allow us to make best of all renewable energy sources by harnessing the energy and having it ready for use whenever it’s needed, increasing the share of renewable energy in the grid while at the same time providing a secure supply for our customers.”

Blackburn Meadows Renewable Energy Plant is a 30MW renewable energy station able to produce power for 40,000 homes from waste wood.

 It provides heat for Sheffield Forgemasters, Sheffield Arena and Ice Sheffield.