Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) has commenced commercial operations at its battery energy storage system (BESS) facility in Stockport, the first project to be completed under Masdar’s $1.34 billion (£1 billion) commitment to invest in UK battery energy storage.
The company will also develop two new BESS projects in Cardiff and Chesterfield. With a capacity of 20 megawatts (MW)/40 megawatt-hours (MWh), the Stockport facility, located in Welkin Road, can store enough clean electricity to power 20,000 homes for over two hours.
The Chesterfield and Cardiff projects, which will have a combined capacity of 150MW and 300MWh, will together store enough electricity to power more than 35,000 UK homes for an entire day. Construction began on the Stockport project in May 2024.
Following its acquisition of Arlington Energy in 2022, Masdar committed to investing $1.34 billion (£1 billion) in a 3 gigawatt-hours (GWh) pipeline of BESS projects in the UK, part of the company’s wider commitment to the UK’s energy transformation. The UK government is aiming to build up to 27GW of battery storage by the end of this decade under its Clean Power 2030 Action Plan.
BESS solutions balance and stabilise the intermittent energy supply from renewables, providing flexible energy to the grid by storing energy in periods of low demand and releasing it at peak times.
This flexibility enhances grid stability and energy security, supports the integration of renewable energy, and contributes to lowering consumer bills and carbon emissions.
Husain Al Meer Director- Global Offshore Wind and UK – Masdar
“Today’s announcements demonstrate that we are accelerating progress towards delivering on our $1.34 billion (£1 billion) pipeline. BESS is critical to helping the UK to transform its energy systems, unlock more renewables deployment, and bring tangible benefits to consumers, businesses, and local communities. Masdar is proud to be at the forefront of this sector in the UK and beyond.”
Built to international safety and security standards, Masdar’s BESS projects feature advanced fire detection and suppression systems, 24-hour CCTV monitoring, and on-site response capabilities. The UK projects are being developed in close consultation with local stakeholders to ensure positive community impact alongside clear national economic benefits.
The Welkin Road facility in Stockport is located on a previously developed brownfield site, where construction has enhanced local biodiversity through the installation of bird and bat boxes, control of Japanese knotweed, and planting of native flora. A dedicated community fund is also being established to support local initiatives.
In Chesterfield, the Calow Green project will transform former coal mining land into a clean energy generation and storage hub. The development respects the area’s agricultural character while repurposing disturbed land, highlighting how legacy industrial sites can be reimagined for sustainable energy use.
Image credits: Masdar | Cropped by GBN
The Cardiff project, located on an industrial brownfield site on Ipswich Road, will repurpose under-utilized land, avoiding new greenfield development while efficiently leveraging existing utilities and transport access.
In October, Masdar broke ground in Abu Dhabi on the world’s first gigascale 24/7 solar and battery storage project, combining a 5.2GW solar plant with a 19GWh BESS to deliver up to 1GW of continuous baseload power.
Masdar’s major UK investments include a $5.67 billion (€5.2 billion) co-investment with Iberdrola in the 1.4GW East Anglia THREE offshore wind project, which will power around 1.3 million British homes, as well as the 3GW Dogger Bank South offshore wind farm being developed with RWE.
