The investment strongly aligns with the Bank’s net zero mandate, helping to provide the energy storage necessary to support the rapid scale up of renewables, as set out in the British Energy Security Strategy. National Grid forecast that up to 29 GW of storage could be needed by 2030 and up to 51 GW by 2050 – up from around 5 GW today.
The deal marks the Bank’s second debt investment in the battery storage market following its £62.5 million commitment to Pulse Clean Energy in May, in addition to £200 million of investment into the Equitix UK Electricity Storage Fund and Gresham House Secure Income Renewable Energy & Storage LP (SIRES).
Gijs Voskuyl, Partner and Deputy CEO at DIF, said: “We’re very excited to make a second investment in the battery storage sector which we see as a critical component for the UK energy industry to reach Net Zero and which we see as highly complementary to DIF’s extensive renewable energy portfolio.
Field’s battery energy storage systems allow energy generated during times of lower demand to be stored and released to the grid during times of higher demand. Field is already operating its first site in the UK, a 20 MWh battery project in Oldham, Greater Manchester.
The investment will allow Field to accelerate the development and buildout of its 4.5 GWh pipeline of grid-scale battery energy storage projects in the UK and Western Europe as it seeks to contribute to the renewable energy infrastructure needed to reach Net Zero.
Energy security has never been more important to the UK. This £60m investment will turbocharge efforts to boost our grid capacity – helping Pacific Green create the largest battery storage project in the country – creating 56 jobs along the way. Scott Poulter, CEO of Pacific Green Technologies, Inc., commented: