Background
Its Kilroot Advancion® Energy Storage Array is the largest battery storage facility in the UK and Ireland, supporting security of supply and decarbonisation, and it has an active energy storage development pipeline across these islands. AES improves lives by providing safe, reliable and sustainable energy solutions in every market it serves. The Northern Ireland operations are part of the AES Corporation’s global portfolio of businesses operating in 16 countries worldwide, employing 18,000 people.

What AES UK & Ireland did
Celebrating 25 years of operation in Northern Ireland, AES UK & Ireland is NI’s largest electricity generator, providing 61% of generation capacity in 2016. Making a significant investment in the next generation of low-carbon, flexible assets for Northern Ireland’s energy infrastructure, in the last two years, it has demonstrated dedicated market leadership in the development, deployment and scaling of battery energy storage with the AES Kilroot Advancion® Energy Storage Array near Carrickfergus, the largest battery energy storage array in the UK and Ireland.

This technology supports cleaner and more stable energy at better value for energy consumers. However, NI’s market structures were not designed for energy storage, so deployment has lagged behind other countries, such as the USA and Chile. AES is proud to have invested its own capital before market certainty was available to support the further decarbonisation of the energy supply, by providing a demonstration project which enables government and regulatory stakeholders, industry participants and local community members to interact with the technology as the market evolves.

AES has announced plans for a 100 megawatt (MW) extension, independently assessed to provide annual savings of £8.5 million and 123,000 tonnes of CO2.

AES’ market leadership in this technology has brought global attention to the clean tech revolution happening in Antrim.

Impacts and Outcomes
Array was commissioned, tendered and constructed in nine months
All NI contractors used for the Balance of Plant work
Received the prestigious Global POWER’s Smart Grid award for the integration of energy storage into a working power station (a world first)
The development of the 100MW extension has been independently assessed as being able to save 123,000 tonnes of CO2 annually
For more information, email claire.addison@aes.com