NatPower to develop £1bn battery storage and port electrification hub in Teesside

NatPower UK has signed an agreement with Sembcorp Utilities UK, a subsidiary of Sembcorp Energy UK, to develop a large-scale battery storage facility at Wilton International in Redcar.

The project, called Teesside GigaPark, will be built on a 32-acre site and is expected to deliver up to 1 gigawatt of capacity with eight gigawatt-hours of lithium-ion storage. The scheme is valued at £1 billion and is described as one of the country’s highest-capacity and longest-duration battery energy storage projects.

According to NatPower, the GigaPark will support grid stability, provide power to industry and ports, and integrate marine electrification infrastructure. It is projected to create about 200 construction jobs, provide long-term skilled employment, and contribute £2 million annually to the local community.

The development will initially operate with four hours of storage capacity, equivalent to four gigawatt-hours, with the potential to expand to eight gigawatt-hours. A connection agreement has been secured with the National Energy System Operator for a 400 kilovolt link to National Grid’s substation. The facility is targeted to be operational by 2028 and will be privately financed.

The infrastructure is being designed to enable shore power for ships, also known as cold ironing, as well as charging for future electric-propulsion vessels.

Stefano D.M. Sommadossi, CEO of NatPower UK and NatPower Marine, said: “Teesside, our most advanced GigaPark, located at Wilton International, will be the blueprint for how we combine high-capacity renewable energy storage with the electrification of ports and industry. Within five years, we can transform one of the UK’s most important industrial hubs into a net-zero economic powerhouse and then replicate this model in ports across the globe.”

Mike Patrick, CEO of Sembcorp Energy UK, said: “We are pleased to support NatPower to bring one of the UK’s most advanced battery energy storage projects to Wilton International. With its robust grid infrastructure, Wilton International offers the ideal platform for scaling long-duration battery storage and supporting maritime electrification. This project further strengthens Wilton International’s role as a strategic site for low-carbon innovation, driving the UK’s journey towards a net-zero future.”