Scotland to Build Europe’s Largest Battery Storage in £800 Million Green Energy Breakthrough

Construction is underway on what is set to become Europe’s most extensive battery energy storage system (BESS) at Coalburn, South Lanarkshire. The ambitious project, spanning two massive battery farms—including one on a former opencast coal mine—will store enough energy to power three million homes, providing critical support for the UK’s rapidly evolving renewable energy grid.

With nearly 90% of Scotland’s electricity generation in 2023 coming from low-carbon sources like wind, solar, and nuclear, the need for advanced grid-balancing solutions has never been greater. The National Grid estimates that BESS capacity must expand sixfold by 2030 to keep up with the fluctuating renewables supply.

The 1-gigawatt Coalburn facility is being constructed in two phases. It is designed to store excess power from wind farms and release it when demand surges or renewable generation dips. Each charge will last two hours before the batteries are depleted.

Phase one of the project broke ground in November 2023 and is set to become operational later this year. Developers Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) have now confirmed that construction of the second phase will begin imminently.

Alongside Coalburn 2, CIP is also launching another 1-gigawatt BESS project at Devilla near Kincardine, Fife, bringing its total UK storage capacity to 1.5GW. The Coalburn 2 phase is being developed on the former Broken Cross opencast coal site, marking a full-circle transformation from fossil fuel extraction to renewable energy storage.

CIP’s Nischal Agarwal emphasized these projects' crucial role in enhancing the UK’s energy security, stabilizing the grid, and supporting the country’s transition to a clean power system by 2030. The long-term goal? A net-zero carbon economy by 2050.

Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney, during a visit to Coalburn 1, praised the investment as a significant milestone in the nation’s clean energy transition. The region is poised to become a hub for renewable energy innovation, with work also commencing on an adjacent nine-turbine wind farm.

"By helping to supply reliable and secure power to our homes and businesses, well-located storage systems, such as batteries and pumped hydro storage, can move us closer to net zero and directly support the communities around them."

The full-scale battery project is expected to reach maximum capacity by the end of 2027, forming a cornerstone of the UK’s renewable energy infrastructure. As wind and solar power continue to dominate the grid, large-scale battery storage like Coalburn and Devilla will ensure that clean energy is available when needed, paving the way for a more resilient, efficient, and carbon-free future.