A large battery plant is being built in Swindon in a bid to make the town carbon neutral.

The 12MW/24MWh battery is being built at the Waterside Innovation.

The ground-breaking project, the first of its kind to be part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in the UK, marks an important milestone in Swindon’s ambition to be carbon neutral by 2030. 

Zenobē, the EV fleet and battery storage specialist, and Public Power Solutions (PPS), the development arm of Swindon Borough Council (SBC) are working together on this project to work towards the carbon-neutral goal.

Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) can help balance power generation with consumer demand, lowering costs for consumers and providing a secure and reliable source of power.

Zenobē’s battery is part of the new zero-carbon electricity infrastructure at the Waterside Innovation Hub, which also includes eight new double-headed electric vehicle (EV) charging points, a 2.5MW solar farm at the nearby Barnfield landfill site, and a solar canopy to be installed later this year. The installation is transforming a brownfield site adjacent to Swindon’s Waste Recycling Centre, bringing green innovation to the local area.

This project will supply power for over 3,000 local homes for two hours. When the project goes live in early 2023, the battery will be one of the first to enter the UK’s balancing mechanism market as well as provide frequency balancing services.

James Basden, Co-Founder and Director of Zenobē, said: "We’re thrilled to be helping Public Power Solutions drive local sustainable innovation by providing cleaner, greener energy. Our battery supports Swindon’s forward-thinking shift to a low carbon economy and demonstrates how battery storage can make clean power more accessible. 

"Installing our battery at the Waterside Innovation Hub shows how organisations can work together across the public and private sector to make clean power both economically and environmentally sustainable."

Councillor Keith Williams, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Finance and Commercialisation, said: "We are committed to supporting a low carbon future in Swindon. The culmination of Zenobē’s battery, the new EV charging points and the solar farm demonstrates our progress towards a secure, green future. 

"We want to lead by example and show organisations and residents that a transition towards cleaner energy is not only possible but is already taking place.

"However, we recognise that local people also have a big part to play and our ‘Be the Change’ climate campaign encourages residents to make small changes to their lives to reduce their energy consumption."