The 500 MW/1 GWh Coalburn battery storage facility is being developed by energy investment company, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), helping balance the grid when demand is high or renewable output is low.

RES will be responsible for the site’s asset management, ensuring the site runs efficiently and delivers long-term value for its owners.

Coalburn is being developed by CIP and Alcemi and is being built in two phases. The first phase began construction in late 2023 with Coalburn 1 expected to come online later in 2025. A second 500 MW site, Coalburn 2, is expected to follow by 2027. Both are part of a wider pipeline of battery projects across the UK being led by CIP.

Ian Hunter, Global Head of Asset Management at RES, commented: “Coalburn is a significant step forward for grid scale storage in the UK and we’re proud to be supporting its long-term operation. As electricity demand increases and renewable generation continues to grow from wind and solar, battery projects are essential to balance the system and maximise the value of the clean energy. We look forward to a long-term partnership with CIP as we help strengthen the UK’s energy infrastructure.”

In addition to its 1.5 GW of BESS sites currently under construction in Scotland, CIP is developing a further 4.3 GW pipeline of BESS projects across the UK and is currently the UK’s largest investor in BESS.

Malcom Paterson, CIP’s Commercial Director, added: “CIP’s latest investments in Scottish battery energy storage will increase our BESS portfolio in the UK to a capacity of 1.5 GW. This supports the UK’s pursuit of a clean power system by 2030 and the goal of delivering a net zero carbon economy by 2050. We welcome the partnership with RES in operating our Coalburn BESS sites which stand to enhance energy security and provide the grid with much-needed flexibility. In turn, this enables the deployment of additional low-cost, clean, green renewable energy even quicker.”

The Coalburn facility is one of the largest BESS projects in RES’ global services portfolio, which currently spans more than 43 GW of wind, solar, storage, and green hydrogen across 1300 sites worldwide. RES operates 24/7 control centres globally which monitor assets in real time, including a global control centre in its nearby Glasgow office.

RES noted that large scale storage like Coalburn is essential for a reliable and secure electricity system, especially as more of the UK’s power comes from variable sources such as wind and solar. The company has previously called for faster grid upgrades and a planning system that can keep pace with the rapid rollout of clean energy infrastructure.

For more news and technical articles from the global renewable industry, read the latest issue of Energy Global magazine.

Energy Global’s Summer 2025 issue

Dive into the latest renewable energy insights in the Summer issue of Energy Global, out now! This edition features a guest comment from Change Rebellion on the role real change management can play in the global energy sector before a regional report, which looks at energy trends and transformations across the Americas. Other key topics are also explored, including offshore support vessels, floating wind, weather analysis, and battery storage. Contributors include Ørsted, CRC Evans, Miros, Solcast, and more, so don’t miss out!

Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/energy-storage/21072025/res-takes-charge-of-major-european-battery-project/