​The UK's battery storage sector is expanding at pace, with new figures suggesting 2025 could become the most significant year yet for the commissioning of assets. EnergyPulse, which tracks energy infrastructure projects, reports that more than 6.8GW of battery storage is now operational across the country, equivalent to 10.5GWh of capacity.

England accounts for the majority of operational sites with 79 per cent of capacity, followed by Scotland with 16 per cent, Northern Ireland with three per cent and Wales with two per cent. The current year has already seen 1,405MW of new capacity come online, surpassing the total for 2024, when 1,249MW was commissioned.

The analysis highlights that a further 6.5GW of projects are under construction, with more than 60GW already consented. Among the most significant developments are the Coalburn and Coalburn II projects in South Lanarkshire, each rated at 500MW with two-hour duration. Developed by Alcemi Storage Developments Limited, the first of these is expected to be completed in 2025, while its sister project is due to follow in 2027.

Growth has been striking since 2020, when the UK's operational battery storage capacity stood at 1,128MW. That figure has risen by more than fivefold in five years to 6,872MW. Recent milestones include the commissioning of Zenobe's Blackhillock Phase 1 at 200MW and Statera's Thurrock Flexible Generation Facility at 300MW, which is now the largest single battery storage asset in the country.

The Thurrock project, submitted in 2020 and consented two years later, began construction in August 2023 and reached completion this summer. With several projects expected to come online before the end of the year, analysts suggest that 2025 is likely to mark a record year for the commissioning of UK battery storage capacity.