Zenobe has acquired the Low Harker battery storage project in Carlisle, Cumbria, from Innova. The 400MW ready-to-build facility has secured planning consent as of October 2023, with a connection date scheduled for 2028.
The project will connect to the Harker substation, a strategic location within the UK grid, and is expected to provide inertia and reactive power services following the planned retirement of local thermal plants such as Heysham nuclear. Zenobe highlighted that the acquisition underscores its role in contributing to the UK’s target of reaching 25GW of battery energy storage system (BESS) capacity by 2030.
Zenobe plans to leverage its experience from the Blackhillock project in Scotland, utilizing grid-forming inverters to participate in various markets and minimize curtailment.
Semih Oztreves, global director of network infrastructure at Zenobe, stated, “The Harker project marks another milestone in delivering the flexible, resilient energy infrastructure the UK needs to accelerate its transition to net zero.”
Innova, which began development of the project in 2022, emphasized its significance in unlocking clean energy infrastructure. The company also noted that community benefit schemes have been established with local parish councils and organizations to support local initiatives throughout the project’s lifespan.
With this acquisition, Zenobe’s total portfolio now includes approximately 1.6GW of BESS assets either operational, under construction, or ready to build, including the recently acquired 1GW Butlers Wood connection.
