Statkraft has started construction of its £100 million Necton Greener Grid Park in Norfolk, the Norwegian company’s largest grid stability project to date, aimed at enhancing the resilience of Great Britain’s electricity network.
The project will deploy synchronous compensators designed to replicate the spinning turbines of conventional power plants. These devices will help stabilise the grid during faults or disturbances without the need to operate fossil-fuel generators, the company said.
Once completed, Necton is expected to provide about 3% of the total inertia required for Great Britain’s power system — equivalent to the output of an 800-megawatt gas-fired power station, or roughly 4 gigawatt-seconds of inertia. Statkraft estimates the project will reduce emissions equal to removing around 300,000 cars from the road.
“This is Statkraft’s largest synchronous compensator installation—over four times the size of its next biggest—and marks the company’s fourth Greener Grid Park,” Statkraft said in a statement, noting it follows operational sites at Keith and Lister Drive, as well as one under construction in Swansea.
The National Energy System Operator (NESO) awarded the project a stability services contract in 2022 under phase three of its Stability Pathfinder Programme, which identified Norfolk as a priority area for grid reinforcement. The programme is expected to deliver an estimated £14.9 billion in savings between 2025 and 2035 through improved network stability and efficiency.
Construction of the Necton facility is expected to take about two years.
Kevin O’Donovan, managing director of Statkraft UK, said the investment reflects the company’s long-term commitment to supporting Britain’s clean energy transition. “I’m proud that Statkraft is making a significant investment into Great Britain’s energy transition, with a commitment to build our latest innovative grid stability scheme, which will be our largest to date,” O’Donovan said.
“When operational, Necton Greener Grid Park will increase the deployment of renewable energy to the grid, bringing down bills for consumers and businesses, and reducing carbon emissions for us all,” he added.
Statkraft said the project is part of its broader strategy to develop grid infrastructure that enables higher levels of renewable energy integration while maintaining system stability.
