Europe's largest operational battery energy storage system (BESS), located at the Blackhillock site in Moray, Scotland, has gone live, utilizing the Kraken smart operating system developed by Kraken Technologies, a part of Octopus Energy Group.
The 200MW / 400MWh Blackhillock facility, owned by Zenobe, is now fully operational, with Kraken's platform managing various aspects of the energy system, including customer billing, renewable energy generation, and energy device management. This marks a significant step forward in integrating cutting-edge technology with large-scale energy storage.
EDF Energy will manage the energy trading for the Blackhillock site, which is expected to reduce consumer bills by £170 million and cut CO2 emissions by 3.4 million tonnes over the next 15 years. The project is also set to expand to 300MW by next year, enough to supply energy to 3.1 million homes, surpassing the total number of households in Scotland.
Kraken now oversees 50% of the UK's grid-scale battery sites, with an additional 4.2GW in contracted capacity. The Kraken platform will support EDF's energy trading activities by managing the control and dispatch of energy from the Blackhillock site.
Charlotte Johnson, Kraken's General Manager for Infrastructure Flex, stated: “Grid-scale batteries are a crucial part of the reliable, renewable energy system of the future. We are working with terrific partners in EDF and Zenobe, and transforming the grid to make full use of the cheapest energy available – from the wind and sun – to bring down bills for everyone.
Zenobe co-founder and director James Basden added: “Integrated with Kraken's innovative platform, Blackhillock will be Europe's largest and most technically advanced battery. It will also be the first transmission-connected battery in the world to deliver stability services, a vital solution if we are to continue the transition to renewable power at speed and scale.
