Tesla Energy has secured another massive Megapack project in the UK. Matrix Renewables announced today that it has signed a full EPC agreement with Tesla for a 500 MW / 1 GWh battery energy storage system in Scotland.
The UK has been one of Tesla’s strongest markets for energy storage. We have frequently reported on the company deploying large-scale Megapack projects in the region, including the Pillswood project, which was previously one of Europe’s largest.
Now, a new project is set to dwarf many existing installations.
Matrix Renewables, a global renewable energy platform, confirmed the deal in a press release today. The company stated it has signed a “Full EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) agreement” with Tesla for a standalone system located in Eccles, Scotland.
The specs are impressive: 500 MW of power capacity and 1 GWh of energy capacity.
While the press release refers to it generally as a “battery energy storage system (BESS),” a project of this size and the specific partnership with Tesla confirms the use of Megapacks.
Mike Snyder, VP of Energy and Charging at Tesla, commented on the announcement:
“We are excited to support Matrix Renewables with their entry into the UK, bringing Tesla’s track record in the market together with Matrix Renewables’ expertise and vision. We highly value the partnership with their team and look forward to executing this landmark project together.”
The project is strategically located along key transmission corridors between Scotland and England. This is a critical spot for grid flexibility, as wind generation in Scotland often exceeds local demand and needs to be transmitted south or stored.
Sergio Arbeláez, Managing Director, Europe & Latam at Matrix Renewables, added:
“We are delivering infrastructure at the scale required to support the UK’s transition to a clean, secure, and resilient power system. This installation demonstrates our ability to execute complex, utility-scale storage projects through strong partnerships and a long-term strategic vision.”
Matrix says that all planning conditions have been discharged and full consent has been secured to commence construction.
This 1 GWh project joins a rapidly growing list of GWh-scale Megapack projects globally. Tesla has been ramping up production at its Lathrop Megafactory in California to meet this exact type of demand, and it recently secured a multi-billion dollar contract for over 15 GWh of deployment in the US.
Electrek’s Take
This is a huge project. For context, 1 GWh of energy capacity is roughly enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes for the two-hour duration of the battery.
Tesla’s energy division is the only part of the business that is growing financially, and large projects like this one add to the momentum.
The UK grid is becoming a fascinating case study for renewables. They have massive wind potential in the north, but the load centers are in the south. Projects like this one in Eccles are going to be essential to stop curtailment (turning off wind turbines when there’s nowhere for the power to go) and instead store that cheap energy for peak times.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this project also utilizes Tesla’s Autobidder software, which has been a standard feature for most of their large UK deployments to manage real-time trading on the energy market.
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