SSE’s 50MW battery storage asset at Salisbury in Wiltshire, England, which entered commercial operation in April 2024. Credit: SSE Renewables.

SSE has acquired the rights from UK company Low Carbon for the development of a 120MW/240 megawatt hours (MWh) grid-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) project in Ireland’s Midlands.

The move by SSE Renewables, a branch of the Financial Times Stock Exchange-listed SSE, is part of its strategy to grow its battery storage portfolio in the country.

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Located in County Offaly, the Thornsberry BESS project has been obtained from Grid Systems Services, a subsidiary of Low Carbon.

The site, near Tullamore, has planning consent and a grid connection offer for a 120MW import/export capacity to the national grid.

The battery system could store up to 240 megawatt hours (MWh) of energy, providing backup power to 115,000 Irish homes for up to two hours.

Subject to a final investment decision, SSE Renewables could have the project operational by 2030.

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The development is expected to stimulate the local economy in County Offaly and the wider Midlands through job creation and supply chain opportunities. It will also contribute to local authority services through development contributions and commercial rates.

SSE Renewables UK and Ireland onshore wind, solar and battery director Heather Donald stated: “Acquiring the consented Thornsberry project in County Offaly is another great step forward in our plans to grow SSE Renewables’ battery storage development portfolio in Ireland.

“The addition of this grid-scale project can make an important contribution to the delivery of SSE’s fully funded five-year net zero acceleration programme, while also advancing the diversity of the technologies in our portfolio.”

Low Carbon has been the original developer of the project since 2018.

The company’s founder and chief executive Roy Bedlow stated: “We are delighted to collaborate with SSE on this project, which underscores Low Carbon’s leading position in the Irish storage market.

“Furthermore, this announcement demonstrates our expertise in delivering high-quality investable assets to the market, meanwhile playing an important role in supporting our future growth as we aim to build 20GW of new renewable energy.”

In October 2024, SSE Renewables and FuturEnergy Ireland submitted a planning application for the 122MW Cummeennabuddoge wind farm to An Bord Pleanála.