The initial 4.5 MW site in Stockport comes online

Infra Balance New Energy (‘IBNE’ or ‘The Company’), a premium provider of flexible and dynamic energy storage and power solutions, is pleased to announce that the first operational site delivered by the working partnership of IBNE and Electricity North West Construction and Maintenance Limited (ENWCML) is now online.

The first site, which is a 4.5 MW gas generation site on an industrial park in Stockport, went live in October following a six-month construction phase which was delivered on time and within budget. The working partnership between IBNE and ENWCML brings together IBNE’s expertise in designing and operating flexible power generation assets and ENWCML’s experience in delivering critical electrical infrastructure projects.

The site utilises a Cummins high-efficiency gas engine, manufactured in the UK, to balance out the grid and deliver safe and reliable power to up to 2000 homes in the local area when required. Such sites are a critical part of the UK’s journey to net zero, balancing out the grid through the storing and releasing of electricity at times of volatility. As more renewable power is used in the UK power grid, sites of this kind will increasingly be required to ensure the local networks can support the intermittent nature of wind and solar energy while maintaining a reliable and safe supply of electricity to meet consumer and industrial demand.

The UK’s net zero targets for 2050 require the phasing out of traditional fossil fuels and replacement with renewable power sources. At the same time, the UK’s energy consumption is set to double by 2050 from 300 GWh to 600 GWh. Gas peaking and battery storage power are essential components in providing the necessary balance to enable an effective and responsible transition.

Following the delivery of this inaugural project, IBNE and ENWCML are working together to deliver the next projects in the pipeline of ready to be connected assets, including a 48 MW battery site with Lancaster Power due to come online late next year and a 14 MW gas site in Manchester which is also due to be operational in 2023.

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William Andrews, IBNE’s CEO, commented: “We are delighted to see our first site go live, representing a major milestone for IBNE. The site demonstrates the combined capabilities of IBNE and its partners to deliver a modern and safe site that can deliver reliable power to the local community when required. I’d like to thank all our partners in achieving this milestone including ENWCML for delivering an exceptional site, Cummins for their flexibility through the process and Statkraft for their role in dispatching the electricity generated at the site.

As the UK ramps up the use of renewable power sources to meet its decarbonisation targets and growing energy demand, flexible power generation will be critical in balancing out the grid and ensuring a reliable energy supply. With a near-term project pipeline of 500 MW and a goal of 1.5 GW+ within the next few years, IBNE is at the forefront of this market and looks forward to working with ENWCML and its other partners in delivering the next projects in the near-term pipeline.”

Mark Williamson, ENWCML’s CEO, commented “We’re very proud of this project which represents the first of its kind delivered by ENWCML. The delivery of this project required specialist resources in building power generation assets that meet the exacting standards of all the stakeholders involved, and we look forward to implementing these skills and best practice to roll out the next projects in the pipeline.

It is important that we adapt the existing infrastructure to accommodate a changing energy mix with a greater emphasis on renewable power, and projects of this kind allow the safe and reliable deployment of renewable energy through the local and national grid for the benefit of all customers.”

For media enquiries please contact:

Buchanan (PR) / Ben Romney / Jon Krinks

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7466 5000 / ibne@buchanan.uk.com

Notes to Editors

About Infra Balance New Energy

IBNE is a commercially responsible energy company that is capitalising on exponential growth in supporting the transition to net zero, enabling renewable deployment. We are at the forefront of this transition with our flexible generation potential and are currently developing more than 500MW of assets with another 1.5GW under appraisal.

To become and remain the premium provider of flexible and dynamic power solutions we have formed several non-exclusive strategic relationships with leading providers of the industry’s ecosystem, including Electricity North-West Construction and Maintenance (ENWCML), Fluence, Statkraft, and continue working similarly with others.

About ENWCML

Electricity North West (Construction and Maintenance) Limited (ENWCML) is a specialist power engineering company delivering electrical engineering solutions for business and public-sector organisations, from Low Voltage to 132kV. They specialise in providing energy solutions for customer’s privately-owned assets; from safe systems of work, design, construction and maintenance to energy efficiency solutions utilising the latest technologies.