Pivot Power has announced plans to build 45 transmission-connected batteries sized at 49MW to offer grid services and, ultimately, provide ultra-fast electric vehicle charging points. It expects to trade power from the batteries, totalling 2GW, in the balancing market, eventually on its own account but initially in partnership, and provide ancillary services to National Grid including frequency response and demand turn-up.

Sites will be close to National Grid substations near towns and major roads, and in areas beneficial to the system in terms of frequency response, constraint management or other ancillary services. The batteries will require around an acre of land and the company plans to provide mass electric vehicle charging areas in adjacent areas, each housing up to 100 rapid 150kW chargers. The sites will also be able to support rapid 350KW chargers when they are available in the UK and the company said they were likely to develop into service station-type areas.

Pivot Power plans to have operational batteries at 10 sites within 18 months with the first site, on the south coast, operational by the middle of 2019, subject to planning approval. It has 35 connection requests in place with National Grid for sites. 

The ambitious scheme has financial backing from Downing LLP, a UK-based investment manager.  It has provided financial support for the initial phase of the project and plans to provide further funding as the rollout of rapid charging stations progresses. Pivot Power is  in talks with institutional and strategic investors, and potential partners, such as car manufacturers, charging providers, and technology and energy companies. Members of the public including EV drivers will have the opportunity to invest alongside institutional investors through the Downing Crowd platform. 

Pivot said the  scheme will complement plans announced by National Grid for fast chargers on the motorway network.

Further reading

The big battery play and the side effects