UK to get first 1GW battery storage with maritime electrification plan

Natpower, a UK startup within a larger European energy group, plans to invest EUR 1 billion in the Teesside GigaPark, a 1GW / 8GWh lithium-ion battery energy storage system at Sembcorp Utilities’ Wilton International site near Middlesbrough. Upon completion, it will be the UK’s largest and longest-duration battery storage facility, more than doubling current national capacity and storage duration. The project is privately funded without government contracts and aims to save the UK up to EUR 3.5 billion annually by reducing grid inefficiencies and preventing clean power waste. Construction is expected to finish by 2028, with the facility designed to support port electrification and electric ship propulsion through shore power (cold ironing), reducing emissions from berthed vessels. The GigaPark will initially offer 4 GWh of four-hour storage, scalable to 8 GWh over eight hours, providing critical grid flexibility to accommodate increasing renewable energy penetration. It includes a 1 GW