Consisting of 90 containerised units, the installation is collocated with 3MW of solar PV at the Copwood VFB Energy Hub in Uckfield. When it comes online next year, it is set to become the biggest vanadium flow battery project in Europe, capable of meeting the daily electricity needs of around 3,000 homes.
Though significantly less energy dense than lithium-ion batteries, VFBs are well suited to stationary long duration energy storage (LDES) paired with renewables, where space is freely available. VFBs can cycle almost indefinitely without losing capacity and use a water-based electrolyte that eliminates the fire risk associated with lithium-ion battery systems. According to Invinity, this safety profile has helped in local planning discussions, where ‘battery fire risk and community impact can be contentious’.
“This project is about far more than a single battery system – it is proof that Britain can build the infrastructure needed to transform the country into a clean energy superpower,” said Jonathan Marren, CEO of Invinity Energy Systems.
“If we are serious about delivering a power system dominated by renewables, we must stop wasting the energy we work so hard to generate. Long-duration storage is the missing piece that turns intermittent wind and solar into reliable, on-demand power.”
Founded in Canada, Invinty today has a strong UK presence, with facilities in Motherwell and Bathgate where the firm assembles its VFBs for UK and European customers. The company has multiple bids in the shakeup for Ofgem’s forthcoming its LDES Cap and Floor support scheme and claims that success there could help Invinty create up to 1,000 jobs as it scales to meet growing battery demand.
“By building Europe’s largest vanadium flow battery here in Britain, and manufacturing it in Scotland, we’re showing that the clean energy transition can strengthen our energy security, cut system costs and create skilled industrial jobs at home,” said Marren.