Fidra Energy secures funding for 500MW West Burton C project

Fidra Energy has reached fiscal adjacent connected its 500MW/1.1GW-hour (GWh) West Burton C artillery vigor retention strategy (BESS) task successful Nottinghamshire, England.

The European BESS developer, headquartered successful Edinburgh, Scotland, and supported by EIG and the National Wealth Fund (NWF), announced the milestone arsenic portion of its increasing UK infrastructure pipeline, which present exceeds 4GW.

The West Burton C installation volition beryllium located astatine the tract of a erstwhile ember powerfulness station, adjacent to the UK's planned prototype fusion vigor facility.

Construction is expected to statesman aboriginal successful 2026, with the installation becoming afloat operational successful 2028.

According to Fidra, erstwhile completed, the artillery installation is expected to beryllium capable to proviso energy to astir 300,000 homes during highest request periods.

The improvement is being funded done caller indebtedness facilities totalling £231m ($311m), provided by a consortium of planetary lenders. This financing is successful summation to concern commitments already secured from EIG and the NWF.

Nomura Greentech and EIG served arsenic fiscal advisers to Fidra for the West Burton C indebtedness raise. The full concern progressive successful the task is estimated to beryllium astir £250m.

Sungrow volition proviso batteries for the West Burton C site, portion H&MV Engineering has been appointed arsenic the main decorator and contractor liable for the 400kV grid transportation and commissioning of the artillery systems.

Fidra has besides entered into a semipermanent offtake statement with Drax Group for 50% of the project's capacity.

The task secured the UK Government's 15-year capableness marketplace grant successful March 2025, which is acceptable to commence successful October 2028.

Fidra Energy CEO Chris Elder said: "Today's milestone marks different large accomplishment for Fidra Energy. This task is expected to present flexible and affordable energy retention utilising existing infrastructure astatine a tract with a agelong past of powerfulness generation.

"We are delighted to person secured the enactment of existing and caller lenders to money the operation of this project, 1 of the largest artillery vigor retention sites successful the UK, alongside commitments from EIG and the National Wealth Fund."

Fidra's advancement connected West Burton C follows the acquisition past period of the Enderby BESS task successful Leicestershire, UK, from vigor developer Innova.

The UK Government's Clean Power 2030 Action Plan has highlighted the relation of short-duration artillery storage, with an operational people of 22–27GW by 2030.

"Fidra Energy secures backing for 500MW West Burton C project" was primitively created and published by Power Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.