The ceremonial launch of the BESS project saw the participation of SSE Renewables officials, alongside contractors Morrison Energy Services and energy storage provider Sungrow. Credit: SSE.
UK-based SSE Renewables has begun construction of a 320MW battery storage project at Monk Fryston, North Yorkshire.
It is SSE’s largest battery storage facility currently under construction and will be among the largest in the UK.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the battery energy storage system (BESS) project was attended by officials from SSE Renewables, principal contractors Morrison Energy Services, and the energy storage supplier Sungrow.
Sungrow Europe president Lewis Jindong Li stated: “We are proud to be a key partner in the Monk Fryston project.
“This milestone represents a significant step towards achieving the UK’s net zero targets by ensuring energy resilience and grid stability.
“Sungrow’s advanced battery energy storage solutions are designed to deliver efficiency, reliability and scalability, supporting the transition to a sustainable energy future.”
Upon completion in early 2026, the BESS facility in Monk Fryston will supply electricity to more than half a million homes for up to two hours during periods of high demand.
SSE Renewables onshore wind, solar and battery director Heather Donald stated: “It’s fantastic to have construction underway on our largest battery storage project at Monk Fryston, and to have been joined by our project partners Morrison Energy Services and Sungrow to mark the occasion.
“To be building a battery project of this size and scale is a huge testament to how far we have come in such a short space of time, with our first 50MW battery asset at Salisbury already entering full operations earlier this year.
“Battery storage projects like this one at Monk Fryston will be vital in reaching the UK’s net zero targets, providing flexibility to the grid when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing.”
SSE’s first operational battery storage facility in Salisbury, with a 50MW capacity, has already commenced full operations and two further projects are under construction phase at Ferrybridge and Fiddler’s Ferry, each with a capacity of 150MW.
In August 2024, SSE Renewables completed a crucial phase in the Coire Glas pumped storage project in the Scottish Highlands, having finished exploratory tunnelling at the site.
