NextEnergy Solar Fund has announced its first site for a battery co-located with solar PV. The project will extend its existing 11MW North Norfolk solar farm to include a 6MW/12MWh battery system. It already has planning permission for battery system and construction is expected to start later this year.

NESF said it is looking for more co-located battery opportunities through a retrofit programme at its 91 existing UK solar farms. Four potential locations have been identified and are being progressed into development stage. The retrofits are in addition to its existing 250MW joint venture with Eelpower for standalone battery storage.

North Norfolk solar farm is subsidised under the Renewables Obligation with a 1.6 banding. The Company will continue closely to align the configuration of its co-located battery projects with Ofgem’s latest guidance.

Michael Bonte-Friedheim, Group CEO of NextEnergy Group said: ” Implementing co-located batteries across the portfolio presents an attractive growth opportunity for NESF as these assets offer both synergies with our PV assets, as well as offering diversification to our portfolio income. Battery storage is a market that NESF has been preparing for some time, having acquired two small scale co-located batteries at Salcey Farm and Pierces Farm in 2017, and we look forward to keeping the market up to date on the results of this programme, now and in the future.”