Eku Energy, the UK battery platform of Macquarie’s Green Investment Group (GIG), has launched the construction of two battery energy storage systems (BESS) in the UK totalling 130 MWh after obtaining all needed planning permits for the projects.

Both facilities will deploy the technology of NHOA Energy, Eku Energy said on Monday, adding that the specific technology will be used for the first time in the British market.

The projects, located in Basildon, Essex and Loudwater, Buckinghamshire, will provide flexibility to support the UK electricity system. The systems are planned to go online by the end of the year. In addition to supplying the standalone battery facilities, NHOA Energy will also oversee their operations under a long-term service agreement.

Eku Energy, set up in November 2022, is now jointly owned by a Macquarie Asset Management managed fund and British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI). Its portfolio contains 4.6 GWh of capacity under development, construction and operation across the UK, Australia, Italy and Japan. The platform’s goal is to have 9 GWh of assets by 2028.

“We have an ambitious pipeline of battery storage projects which we are developing at pace and scale [..],” said Sandra Grauers Nilsson, CEO of Eku Energy.