Amazon wants to add Tesla Powerpacks to a UK facility

Internet retail giant Amazon is looking to add energy storage to one of its facilities in the UK and it is proposing to work with Tesla to deploy Powerpacks at the location.

Amazon has a large fulfillment center in Tilbury – east of London.

It already has a solar array at the location, but it apparently wants to expand it and add energy storage.

The project was first spotted by Solar Power Portal and Electrek has now obtained the permit application, which has been submitted to Thurrock Council by Push Energy, the solar installer that Amazon is working with for the project.

They wrote in the application:

“Planning permission for a 4.074MW solar PV array is being sought to enable the applicants to reduce their carbon emissions and energy bills for the site and to increase their self-sufficiency in terms of electricity production. The accompanying powerpacks provide a complementary capacity of 3.77MW sought to enable access to power when the solar PV array is not at full performance, therefore decreasing grid connection stress during periods of peak demand.”

They plan to install the solar array on the roof of the building and the Tesla Powerpacks at the back.

While we are talking about a significant project in size, it would still only cover a fraction of the electricity demand of Amazon’s facility:

“The site’s estimated annual electrical demand from the grid is currently 19,974,551 kWh/annum. The solar PV system is predicted to generate 3,546,010 kWh/annum, contributing approximately 17.7% towards the total site demand, providing a significant contribution of the overall energy demand of the site, The addition of battery storage primarily serves to cover peak load and provide grid stabilisation. In this case, when the solar array is not providing the supply to meet the full demand of the site, electricity will be taken from the battery storage system.”

Amazon has hundreds of locations like this one around the world and if this project is successful in reducing energy cost, it would be interesting to see if they decide to deploy Tesla Powerpacks at more locations.

Here’ the permit application in full:

[scribd id=387479571 key=key-qNz2czkXCHUontYQ8PAO mode=scroll]

Electrek’s Take

This project is significant in size, but it is relatively small compared to what Tesla has been working on lately, like the massive ‘up to 1.1 GWh’ Powerpack battery system that Tesla and PG&E are working on.

It also wouldn’t be the first Powerpack project in the UK since Tesla deployed a system at the Manchester Science Park (MSP) earlier this year.

That said, the potential of Amazon and Tesla teaming up to deploy more energy storage capacity if this project is successful is extremely exciting.

What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below.