Ørsted has officially begun construction on its first large-scale Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in the UK, marked by a golden shovel ceremony. The project, named Iceni after the historic Norfolk warrior tribe, is located near Norwich, Norfolk, alongside Ørsted's Hornsea 3 Offshore Wind Farm.
With a capacity of 600 MWh and a power rating of 300 MW, the Iceni system is designed to store enough energy to meet the daily consumption of 80,000 UK homes. Expected to be operational by the end of 2026, the BESS will become one of the largest in Europe upon completion.
Preparatory works have been completed, and the team—including Ørsted, Knights Brown, and Tesla—will proceed with the remainder of the installation.
Beatrice d'Eufemia, project manager for Ørsted, commented: “This is a very exciting project to be a part of, not only for Ørsted as it is our first large-scale battery installation in the UK, but also for the UK energy industry as this project involves two generators using one shared grid connection. Success here opens up the possibilities for increased use of existing grid infrastructure in the UK, which is critical when there is a real issue of congestion in the network.
The system will play a crucial role in balancing the UK's electricity grid. By storing excess energy generated during periods of low demand, the BESS will discharge the stored power later, helping to stabilize the grid and optimize the use of renewable energy resources.
