NatPower UK has signed a site agreement with Sembcorp Utilities to develop a 1 gigawatt (GW) battery energy storage system at Wilton International in Redcar, marking one of the UK’s largest long-duration energy storage projects.
The £1 billion privately funded initiative, known as the Teesside GigaPark, will include an 8 gigawatt-hour (GWh) storage capacity and aims to support the decarbonisation of both the national grid and the maritime sector. The facility is scheduled to be operational by 2028 and will connect to the grid via a 400 kilovolt (kV) link.
Initially designed for a four-hour duration, the system will have the potential to be expanded to eight hours. The site will also provide infrastructure for cold ironing – supplying electricity to ships at berth – and enable recharging of future electric marine propulsion systems.
Construction is expected to generate approximately 200 jobs, with skilled long-term positions to follow. NatPower has also committed to contributing £2 million annually to a community benefit fund once the site becomes operational.
“Teesside, our most advanced GigaPark, located at Wilton International, will be the blueprint for how we combine high-capacity renewable energy storage with the electrification of ports and industry,” said Stefano D.M. Sommadossi, CEO of NatPower UK and NatPower Marine. “Within five years, we can transform one of the UK’s most important industrial hubs into a net-zero economic powerhouse and then replicate this model in ports across the globe.”
Sembcorp Energy UK, which owns and operates the Wilton International site, described the location as well-positioned to support the project’s goals.
“We are pleased to support NatPower to bring one of the UK’s most advanced battery energy storage projects to Wilton International,” said Mike Patrick, CEO of Sembcorp Energy UK. “With its robust grid infrastructure, Wilton International offers the ideal platform for scaling long-duration battery storage and supporting maritime electrification.”
The development is expected to play a strategic role in strengthening the UK’s renewable energy infrastructure and industrial decarbonisation efforts.
