Elements Green has completed the acquisition of the Newarthill Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project from Geocore, further expanding its UK energy storage pipeline amid growing demand for large-scale battery assets connected to the transmission network.

The Newarthill project, located near Motherwell, is a 300MW BESS development designed with a planned two-hour duration and the potential to expand to four hours. The transmission-connected project is expected to support the UK’s energy transition by helping integrate higher volumes of renewable generation into the electricity system.

Planning consent for the project was granted on 4 February 2025. The asset will connect through an adjacent 275kV substation, while a grid offer has already been secured from the National Energy System Operator (NESO) as part of the UK’s ongoing grid reform process. Energisation is currently targeted for October 2029.

Legal advisors to Elements Green on the transaction were Bird & Bird and Brodies LLP, while Savills Earth Capital Advisors acted as financial advisor to Geocore.

Strategic position within the UK transmission network

Elements Green said the acquisition strengthens its pipeline of long-duration battery storage projects connected to the transmission network, at a time when the UK electricity system is facing increasing volatility and rising renewable generation.

The company noted that the Newarthill project is located within a constrained section of the UK transmission network, around the B6 and B4 boundaries, where large-scale flexibility assets are expected to provide significant system-wide benefits.

According to the company, the project is expected to help support higher renewable penetration, improve system stability, reduce network congestion and lower dependence on fossil fuel backup generation.

Scotland’s renewables-heavy electricity mix, combined with persistent transmission bottlenecks, has increased the need for strategically located battery storage infrastructure. Constraints across the network often limit electricity exports to demand centres further south, resulting in curtailment and redispatch costs.

Large-scale BESS projects such as Newarthill can help relieve those constraints by absorbing excess renewable generation during periods of congestion and discharging electricity back to the network when demand rises, improving overall system resilience.

Executive comments

Rasmus Friis, CEO of Elements Green, said the acquisition represents “another important step” in the company’s strategy to develop a portfolio of large-scale, transmission-connected energy storage assets across key parts of the UK network.

Friis added that Newarthill is “a high-quality project located at a strategically important grid node within Scotland, where significant renewable generation coincides with growing system constraints and strong demand for network flexibility”.

He also noted that projects of this scale and positioning will become “increasingly important” as the UK continues to decarbonise its electricity system.

Lloyd Garvie, Director of Geocore, said the company had spent the last four years developing the Newarthill BESS project while navigating “a complex period of grid queue reform”.

Garvie said the project sits at “a critical grid node, where high urban demand coincides with significant renewable generation”, adding that he believes the asset will play “a meaningful role in supporting wider system stability” as Elements Green expands its footprint in the UK BESS market.

Meanwhile, David Cunningham, Co-Head of Savills Earth Capital Advisors, said the transaction marked the advisory firm’s second engagement with Elements Green.

Cunningham highlighted the complexities of navigating ongoing grid queue reform in the UK BESS sector and said the firm provided valuation guidance “from origination through to execution”, helping deliver “a predictable and successful outcome” for all parties involved.