Pulse Clean Energy has energised yet another battery energy storage system in West Manchester, with a new 30MW/67MWh BESS going live today.
Earlier this year, Pulse Clean Energy announced that it had powered up a 42MW/100MWh battery energy storage system in Hyde, West Manchester, but now it’s the turn of Atherton – which might have a slightly smaller facility, but it all adds up to a significant boost to the region’s ability to store electricity.
The Atherton BESS is located on the site of a former coal mine, and is now providing services to help balance the national power network. Trevor Wills, CEO of Pulse Clean Energy, commented, “It’s fantastic to see Coal Pit up and running in Greater Manchester. A region with a proud industrial past is leading the way with a new generation of affordable and reliable energy, while enhancing the local environment.”
Given the site’s former purpose, significant habitat work was included in the design of the new BESS. Pulse Clean Energy forecasts an estimated 300% biodiversity net gain – well above the 10% statutory requirement – through nearly one hectare of native tree and shrub planting (about 4,000 trees and shrubs), wildflower meadows and a riparian woodland buffer.
Wills continued, “As demand for energy grows and intermittent sources of energy such as wind and solar continue to scale, sites like Coal Pit are essential to ensuring energy is less costly for homes, businesses, and industry.”
The project forms part of Pulse Clean Energy’s portfolio expansion and was financed under its £220 million green-debt facility from a consortium of six international banks. Metka served as EPC contractor, while Flexitricity is the route-to-market provider. It should also help the firm reach its target of more than 2GWh of installed capacity in the UK by 2030.
