Eku Energy secures £45m for Ocker Hill battery storage project in UK

Energy retention solutions supplier Eku Energy has obtained indebtedness financing exceeding £45m for the operation of a caller 99MW/198 megawatt-hour artillery vigor retention strategy (BESS) astatine Ocker Hill successful the UK.

The financing has been provided by NatWest Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC).

Alongside the project-specific financing for Ocker Hill, SMBC and NatWest person besides extended an uncommitted accordion installation amounting to £100m.

This installation is intended to bolster Eku Energy’s upcoming projects successful the UK, including those arising from the caller acquisition of the Bluestone Energy BESS portfolio.

On 14 April 2025, Eku Energy disclosed its acquisition of Bluestone Energy’s portfolio, which encompasses 7 planned BESS projects with a combined capableness of 1GW/two gigawatt-hours.

These initiatives are expected to further heighten Eku Energy's beingness successful the vigor retention landscape, the institution said.

The Ocker Hill BESS task is positioned betwixt the towns of Dudley and Wednesbury successful the West Midlands.

The determination is adjacent the tract of the erstwhile Ocker Hill coal-fired powerfulness station, which operated for much than 80 years earlier its closure successful 1977 and consequent demolition successful 1985.

Construction of the Ocker Hill BESS is scheduled to statesman adjacent month, with commissioning scheduled for precocious 2026.

This task represents Eku Energy’s 4th vigor retention task successful the UK that is either operational oregon successful the operation phase.

The Ocker Hill BESS task volition diagnostic 54 Tesla Megapacks, with H&MV Engineering selected arsenic the equilibrium of works contractor.

H&MV Engineering was chosen owed to its high-quality plan expertise and established acquisition successful executing BESS projects utilising Tesla’s technology.

Eku Energy CTO Elias Saba said: “40 years aft the demolition of the archetypal coal-fired powerfulness presumption astatine Ocker Hill, the adjacent Ocker Hill BESS volition beryllium providing vigor and grid services.

"With Ocker Hill BESS and its innovative semipermanent offtake from Smartest Energy, we further alteration the vigor modulation and uptake of renewable energy."

SmartestEnergy, a afloat owned subsidiary of Marubeni Corporation, volition service arsenic the tolling supplier nether a decade-long statement for the Ocker Hill project.

Eku Energy CEO Daniel Burrows said: “Eku Energy’s increasing portfolio successful the UK reflects our committedness to present safe, unafraid and reliable vigor retention solutions that volition supply cost-effective cleanable energy.

“By securing beardown fiscal backing from NatWest Bank and SMBC for the Ocker Hill BESS and partnering with Tesla and SmartestEnergy, we are continuing to grow our relation successful gathering a much flexible and resilient vigor strategy for the UK.”