The Coalburn 2 Energy Storage Project is currently being developed in Coalburn, South Lanarkshire in Scotland, UK.
Renewable energy greenfield project investor Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), through its flagship CI IV Fund and Alcemi, are developing the project.
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BESS represents an investment of approximately £800m along with Devilla Battery Energy Storage System Project.
The partners took the Final Investment Decision (FID) in January 2025. They issued a Notice to Proceed (NtP) to commence construction which will start in January 2025.
Coalburn 2 will start storing electricity from August 2027. An additional 500MW would be installed in the future taking the maximum capacity of the project to 1GW.
Once operational, it will support the targets of achieving net zero carbon economy by 2050 and clean power system by 2030 of the UK.
Background
The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Coalburn 2 was published in September 2022. For the development, the partners, in December 2022, submitted cumulative impact assessments.
The assessments included drainage reports, site plan, noise impact assessment, planned design etc.
In February 2023, the partners received the consultation responses for the development application of the project.
The project received planning permission in January 2024 from the Government of Scotland.
Location Details
The site is located to the east of Coalburn. The site was previously used for the storage of mining material from the Broken Cross opencast coal mine.
The project would cover approximately 22 hectares (ha) of land.
The site is accessible from the B7078 and Eastertown Roads via the shared access road for the mine.
Coalburn 2 Project Details
The Coalburn 2 Energy Storage Project will initially consist of 5 blocks of BESS. Each BESS block will have an energy storage capacity of 100MW and will consist of 46 battery units with advanced control systems and safety features.
Approximately 450 SolBank 3.0 battery containers (1GWh Direct Current (DC) for Coalburn 2) will be installed at the project site. The number of battery containers includes those which will be installed at the site of the Devilla BESS Project.
The storage systems and related infrastructure will comprise energy storage modules, Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) equipment, fire suppression equipment, a cooling plant, switchgear, inverters, transformers, metering equipment, and control and protection apparatus.
The infrastructure of the project also includes a compound for the Relevant Transmission Licensee (RTL), security gates, a Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV), access roads, drainage, and 10 development platforms.
The energy storage systems would be installed on these platforms. Each development platform would be cover 5,615.50m2 of land.
Under operations, the project will store 1000MWh of green power.
Coalburn 2 Energy Storage Project Power Supply
Coalburn 2 would be connected to the National Grid of Scotland. The connection will be provided by Scottish Power (SP) Energy Networks.
The project would be connected to the existing Coalburn substation known as Coalburn North via underground cables.
The switchgear and step-up transformers will be housed within the project site adjacent to each development platforms.
The energy stored by the energy systems will be stepped up and converted to 400kV which will be exported to the Scottish National Grid.
Contractors Involved
In January 2025, H&MV Engineering, which provides high voltage design, engineering, and construction services, will provide design and construction services for the Coalburn 2 BESS Project, including electrical and the Balance of Plant, with a UK utility contractor OCU .
e-STORAGE, a subsidiary of Canadian Solar, will deliver battery storage systems for the project. The contract was awarded in January 2025.
Scottish consultant and engineering firm Wood has been selected to provide construction management services for the project.
The EIA for the project was prepared by RPS, a UK consultant.
