Statkraft first grid-forming battery is operational

“Neilston is a good example of what the next phase of the energy transition looks like. We still need significantly more renewable generation, but increasingly we also need the infrastructure that allows us to make the best possible use of that renewable electricity: grids, storage, flexibility and solutions that keep the power system stable.” says Statkraft’s Executive Vice President Europe, Barbara Flesche. The project is one of the first in the UK to enter commercial operation.  
 
Grid-forming batteries, such as those at Neilston Greener Grid Park, can provide stability services when there is disruption to the electricity network.  
 
“The UK is moving early in addressing these challenges. That makes it an important market for developing and deploying solutions that will be needed across Europe as renewable energy becomes an ever-larger part of our power systems. This also fits well with our strategy as an integrated renewable energy company, bringing together our capabilities in renewable generation, markets and flexibility to contribute to secure, affordable and well-functioning energy systems.” Flesche says. 
 
The most recent UK Government statistics show that renewables now provide 55.8 percent of UK electricity generation, which is a record high. By reducing reliance on gas, which sets electricity prices, renewables help keep costs stable during fossil fuel price spikes caused by geopolitical events. During the 2022 Russia-Ukraine conflict, gas set electricity prices approximately 90% of the time, but by the 2026 war in Iran, this frequency fell by one-third due to the expansion of renewable generation. Figures suggest that wind farms cut the cost of wholesale electricity in the UK by a third during 2025.   
 
“Great Britain has made remarkable progress towards greater energy security. Statkraft’s investments across that system are helping achieve that. Neilston is part of a much broader portfolio of battery storage, grid stability and renewable projects across the UK and Ireland. The task now is to ensure that the electricity system develops just as quickly. Neilston shows how we can do that. Grid-forming batteries can provide essential stability services while also giving the system more flexibility to integrate growing volumes of wind and solar power”, says Kevin O’Donovan, Statkraft’s UK and Ireland Country Manager. 

Across the UK and Ireland, Statkraft has a portfolio of over 2GW of battery and synchronous compensator schemes in development and in operation. Statkraft has invested more than £2 billion in UK renewable energy infrastructure since entering the UK market in 2006. Its activities today span renewable generation, battery storage, grid stability, hydropower and energy markets.