First to support electricity network with battery storage site
First Bus is to support the UK’s electricity network with the launch of its largest battery storage site next month, the company has announced today.
The facility will be unveiled at its Hoeford bus depot in Hampshire in September, with work starting on an even larger unit in Aberdeen by the end of the year.
The new facilities will use batteries to store surplus electricity so it can be distributed back into the country’s power network at peak times and help maintain power supplies. The stored electricity will also be used to power some of First Bus’ 1,200-plus electric buses in its growing nationwide fleet.
Over time, batteries which have reached the end of their useful bus life will be removed from the company’s vehicles and used for power storage, giving them a new lease of life and progressing the company’s decarbonisation journey. This includes a commitment to a net-zero commercial bus fleet by 2035, which has already seen it electrify over a dozen of its depots and replace more than 1,200 diesel buses with electric.
This major step in the company’s plans to develop battery storage sites will see its Hoeford depot provide enough space for almost three bus batteries with the potential to store one megawatt of power, enough to supply the equivalent of 125 homes for one day.
By the end of this year, First Bus will have started work on an even larger battery storage unit at its depot in Aberdeen, and will explore opportunities to create more battery sites across the UK over time.
The news of the company’s first megawatt battery storage site comes as FirstGroup Energy Ltd, a subsidiary of FirstGroup plc, announces an investment in Palmer Energy Technology (PETL), which designs and manufactures battery energy storage systems and was founded by former Aston Martin Chief Executive and Optare Chairman, Dr Andy Palmer. Other investors include Barclays and Oxford University.
Mr Palmer said: “With buses at the forefront of the transition to electric vehicles and net-zero transportation, I’m delighted to welcome investment from FirstGroup Energy Ltd, as well as Barclays and Oxford University, to advance development of next generation control systems. This will allow us to accelerate our business and give the UK a leading position in battery energy storage system technology.”
Faizan Muhammad, FirstGroup’s Investment Director – Energy, said: “Our investment in Palmer Energy Technology, alongside Barclays Bank and Oxford University, brings together great private sector expertise to find creative solutions to challenges facing the UK.
“This investment continues our strategy of backing new and innovative companies aimed at supporting our long-term public commitment of achieving a zero-emission commercial bus fleet by 2035. We’re really excited about this new chapter in our decarbonisation journey and look forward to working closely with PETL to continue developing this technology.”
The new partnership with Palmer Energy Technology has been further boosted by the recent announcement that it has acquired software company Brill Power, bolstering the company’s battery storage capabilities.