E22, as part of Gransolar Group, now has a new commercial office in London to facilitate the management of the multiple projects currently being developed in the United Kingdom and those it plans to sign in the coming months. The boost to energy storage in the area, which reached a capacity of 27 GW in 2021 supported by the government’s favourable policies to achieve zero emission targets, makes the UK a priority market for E22’s business portfolio.
The company has a pipeline of 12.5 MW / 20 MW in the zone, where it landed in 2017 with a storage project in the county of Dorset. And now, it intends to take a quantum leap forward with a permanent site such as the one recently opened in Richmond. “To have presence in the heart of the United Kingdom helps us to manage our projects more directly and to strengthen our relationships with our partners, as well as to meet new ones to keep developing cutting-edge energy solutions,” explains Jaime Vega, Managing Director of E22.
“We had a clear idea of how essential it is to have a place in a market that will play a pivotal role in the coming years in the boosting of energy storage linked to renewable energies,” he adds.
E22’s aim in the United Kingdom is to develop stand-alone battery projects and hybrid storage solutions with different kinds of renewable energies that facilitate the population’s access to a reliable and constant electricity. With this growth in the region, the company will contribute its experience and know-how to the ambitious goals set by the United Kingdom to complete the energy transition, to focus on sustainability and reduce its dependency on fossil fuels.
A key market
These policies made it possible to already reach 27 MW of capacity in the area by the end of 2021, a growth of 70% over the previous year. Also significant is the increase in large-scale installations, which have grown from an average of 6 MW in 2017 to 45 MW five years later, according to data from Solar Media Market Research.
Considering these figures, this is a unique opportunity to invest in a market that is experiencing exponential growth and to which E22 is very committed, as evidenced by the opening of the Richmond office.
The Gransolar Group’s energy storage division has already carried out outstanding projects in the area, such as the Holes Bay Balance of Plant (BoP) storage system, developed by Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) and Harmony Energy in the county of Dorset to regulate the frequency and voltage of the grid (SEPD). In this case, E22 has provided the design, installation and commissioning of a Li-Ion battery with a capacity of 7.5 MW and 15 MWh, as well as the subsequent operation and maintenance (O&M) tasks.
The company’s medium-term objective is to expand its pipeline with several lithium battery projects that will provide access to electric grids for remote installations, where energy storage is particularly important for guaranteeing a supply. In order to achieve this, E22 will strengthen its ties with prominent local partners who will contribute to the success of the projects thanks to their great penetration in the market and knowledge of its peculiarities.
