Masdar has started commercial operations at its Rochdale facility, the second battery energy storage project the UAE renewables company has brought online in the United Kingdom. The site has a capacity of about 35 megawatts and can store up to 70 megawatt-hours, enough clean power for roughly 35,000 homes a day across two full charge-and-discharge cycles.
The plant can respond to shifts in electricity supply and demand within fractions of a second, helping to balance the grid.
A One Billion Pound Commitment
The project is part of a pledge to invest £1 billion, about $1.36 billion, in a UK battery storage portfolio with a combined target capacity of 3 gigawatt-hours. Masdar entered the market in 2022 through its acquisition of the Arlington Energy platform.
Hussein Al Mir, the company’s executive director for offshore wind in the UK and globally, said the start of commercial operations at Rochdale marks an important step in Masdar’s commitment to the market.
What Is Built and What Is Coming
Rochdale follows the Wilken Road facility, which began operating last December with 20 megawatts of capacity and 40 megawatt-hours of storage. Two further projects are under development in Chesterfield and Cardiff, with a combined 150 megawatts of capacity and 300 megawatt-hours of storage.
To support the expansion, Masdar secured financing of up to £97 million, or $132.23 million, from Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and ING.
Beyond Storage
Storage is only one part of the company’s UK presence. Masdar is a partner in the 1.4-gigawatt East Anglia 3 offshore wind farm with Iberdrola, a €5.2 billion project, and in the 3-gigawatt Dogger Bank South offshore wind development alongside RWE.
The expansion aligns with Britain’s Clean Power 2030 plan, which targets up to 27 gigawatts of electricity storage capacity by the end of the decade. Globally, Masdar’s renewable energy portfolio exceeds 65 gigawatts, and the company is aiming for 100 gigawatts by 2030.
This story was produced in the newsroom from the disclosed sources named above.
