Batteries are included in UK auctions

In the UK’s December 2016 capacity auction for delivery in winter 2020/21, battery storage facilities won some 501 MW of contracts. The auction cleared at £22.50 per kW. This was the first time batteries had competed in a UK capacity auction.

“In combination with the successful EFR auctions earlier this year, the much anticipated future for battery storage has clearly taken an important first step”, commented Frontier Economics. The EFR (Enhanced Frequency Response) auctions, focused on systems able to deliver 100% active power within less than a second, had been held in July 2016 and resulted in the procurement of 200 MW of battery storage capacity.

Among the successful battery storage providers in the December 2016 auction were Centrica (49 MW facility at Roosecote), EDF, RES, E.ON, Low Carbon, UK Power Reserve, Statera, Macquarie, Kiwi, Green Hedge and Limejump.

Batteries were less successful in a subsequent auction, held in January 2017, for delivery 2017/2018, with only about 10 MW of battery capacity obtaining contracts.