Matrix Renewables signs up EDF to optimise its 1GWh Scottish battery system
Matrix Renewables has signed a deal with EDF to optimise its 500MW/1GWh battery energy storage system (BESS) currently under construction at Eccles in Berwickshire, Scotland.
The long-term Battery Optimisation Agreement will see EDF provide route-to-market services across UK power markets for Matrix’s first standalone battery storage development in the UK.
EDF will use its Powershift platform to optimise the battery in real time to support grid stability, manage peak demand and help integrate more low-carbon generation, it said.
The BESS, scheduled to begin commercial operations in summer 2027, is strategically located along key transmission corridors between Scotland and England, enabling it to play an important role in strengthening grid resilience and enabling the efficient flow of electricity across the network, Matrix said. By storing excess electricity generated from renewable sources and releasing it during periods of high demand, the project will support the integration of more renewable energy into the UK’s electricity system.
All planning conditions for the Eccles project have been discharged, and full consent has been secured, allowing construction to progress as planned, the company said.
Chris Matthews, Chief Commercial Officer at Matrix Renewables, said:
We are proud to be delivering one of the UK’s largest battery storage projects and to partner with EDF for its commercial optimisation. Battery storage will play a critical role in enabling the continued growth of renewable energy while strengthening the resilience and flexibility of the electricity system.”
The project is part of Matrix’s strategy to expand its battery storage portfolio which will see the Spanish-based company invest £1 billion in UK battery capacity, contributing to the government’s Clean Power 2035 ambitions and Net Zero 2050 target. The firm said it aims to develop more than 3GW of capacity across the country in the coming years.
Stuart Fenner, Commercial Director of Business & Wholesale Services at EDF, said:
Delivering EDF’s mission to build an Electric Britain depends on flexible assets that can respond instantly to the needs of the system. This project will provide exactly that capability.”
