Ørsted plans Tesla battery for Hornsea 3 Offshore Wind Farm

Ørsted will instal a Tesla battery energy storage system on the same site as the onshore converter station for the Hornsea 3 Offshore Wind Farm in Swardeston, UK.

The battery will be used to balance the grid as more volatile renewables come online, especially offshore wind prevalent in the region. The system will also reduce price volatility for consumers as it will make more power available during peak periods, when energy tends to be more expensive.

The storage system has a capacity of 600MWh, equivalent to the daily energy use of 80,000 UK homes and is expected to be operational by the end of 2026.

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When complete, the battery energy storage system will be one of the largest in Europe, claims Ørsted.

Duncan Clark, head of UK & Ireland in Ørsted, said: “Our 12 operational UK offshore wind farms are providing a huge amount of clean energy to the grid. The battery will help ensure that renewable energy is used in the best possible way by storing it when demand is lower and then releasing it back into the system when it’s really needed, thereby maximising the potential of renewable energy whilst providing increased energy security and value to consumers. With this investment, we’re adding significantly to Ørsted’s growing portfolio of storage solutions co-located with onshore and offshore renewable assets.”

The company stated it is investing in grid-balancing technology such as storage to provide complementary services and revenue profiles, as well as to support the UK's deployment of renewable energy.

Ørsted currently has a total of 660MW (1,850MWh) storage projects in operation or under construction in the UK and US including the project announced today. In addition, Ørsted is developing a storage opportunity pipeline of +2GW across the UK, Ireland and the US.

Hornsea 3 will be Ørsted’s third gigawatt-scale project in the Hornsea zone which has been under development since 2015. It joins Hornsea 1, which has a capacity of 1.2GW, and Hornsea 2 with a capacity of 1.3GW.

Hornsea 4 offshore wind farm, which could have a capacity of up to 2.6GW, is currently under development.