Located on the M6 corridor on the edge of Carlisle, the battery works by storing electricity with enough supply to power nearly 6,000 average homes for a day from a single charge, making it one of the biggest in the UK. Subject to planning permission, the battery will also supply electricity to an electric vehicle (EV) charging superhub, which will be developed nearby by Pivot Power.

Carlisle is the second of 45 sites in the UK to achieve planning permission, in what is planned to become a 2GW sustainable charging network connected directly to National Grid sub-stations across the country. Downing LLP is providing the initial development funding required for the rollout of the £1.6 billion project.

Downing also has intentions to raise funding from members of the public and institutions to progress the network rollout. The investment manager has funded over 100 energy projects since 2010, with investments totalling more than £500 million.

The development will put Carlisle at the forefront of the smart energy revolution, creating infrastructure that makes it easier for drivers to switch to EVs and supports action to clean up the region’s air. Carlisle City Council has given the company permission to install the 50MW battery at Harker electricity sub-station. The Carlisle battery is expected to be operational by October 2019 as part of Pivot Power’s plan to have operational 50MW batteries at 10 sites within 18 months and 45 within five years.

Colin Corbally, Partner at Downing LLP said:

“This ambitious project is off to a strong start, following its launch in February 2018 and the successful planning permission for the Southampton battery site over the summer. Currently, the UK has around 500MW of grid-scale battery storage, so the work carried out by Pivot Power will be a crucial step forward in the UK’s fight against both climate change and a potential energy crisis. Growth investments like this are also a key way to unlock the significant capital required to roll-out widescale, cost-effective, EV charging infrastructure, to facilitate the mass adoption of EVs in the UK."

“We are extremely proud to provide ongoing investment and support to Pivot Power and look forward to seeing the project continue to gather strength.”

Michael Clark, Chief Technical Officer at Pivot Power, added:

“We could not be more thrilled to announce plans for the site at Harker on the doorstep of the Lake District UNESCO World Heritage site. The plan will contribute to cleaning our nation’s air and driving forward a cleaner greener economy – a need brought into sharp focus recently by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s landmark climate scenario report. Working with the local authorities, our plans will see Carlisle become a pioneering city for low carbon vehicle adoption, ensuring that the rural areas it serves are not left lagging in the EV revolution.”

Information correct at time of publishing, October 2018.