SSE buys 120-MW battery project in Ireland from Low Carbon

SSE Renewables has acquired a 120-MW/240-MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) project in Ireland from UK-based renewables company Low Carbon, further expanding its battery development portfolio on the island of Ireland.

The renewables business of UK utility SSE Plc (LON:SSE) has purchased the project development rights for the consented Thornsberry BESS project from Grid Systems Services Limited, a developer owned by Low Carbon.

The project, located in County Offaly, has planning consent for a grid-scale BESS and a grid connection offer to connect 120 MW of import/export capacity through an adjacent existing substation, the parties said today. If a final investment decision is made, the battery could begin construction and be operational by the end of the decade.

The Thornsberry project increases SSE Renewables’ secured battery pipeline in Ireland to 300 MW, as part of a 1.8-GW pipeline spanning Ireland and the UK.

Low Carbon, which initiated the project in 2018, has been an early mover in the Irish energy storage market and now provides 20% of the country’s storage capacity, according to the announcement. The company recently sold a 6-GW BESS portfolio to Dutch storage developer S4 Energy.

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