By now, we should 100% know what a BESS is.
Zenobē has just switched on its Blackhillock battery energy storage system in Scotland, and it’s a big deal!
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This 200MW/400MWh facility is now the largest transmission-connected battery storage system in Europe, and it’s set to play a crucial role in stabilizing the grid.
Located between Inverness (I’ve been to Inverness and I loved ittt!) and Aberdeen, Blackhillock will help reduce congestion in the grid caused by wind farms like Viking, Moray East, and Beatrice. But what makes this project even more impressive is that it’s the first BESS in the world to provide stability services to the National Energy System Operator (NESO). These services, including short-circuit level and synthetic inertia, are vital to keeping the grid running smoothly.
James Basden, Zenobē’s founder, mentioned that this project increases Scotland’s operational battery capacity by over 30%, highlighting how important this is for the region’s energy future. The battery system was developed with the help of Wärtsilä, which provided the energy storage systems, and Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks, which made the grid connection happen.
Looking forward, Zenobē is already working on another massive project near Glasgow—the Kilmarnock South BESS. This 300MW/600MWh facility is set to go live in 2026 and will further boost the UK’s renewable energy integration.
With more of these innovative projects on the horizon, Zenobē is playing a key role in supporting the growth of renewable energy sources and ensuring grid stability across the UK.
Would you take a trip to Inverness?
References
Google. (2025). Gemini (Imagen 3) [AI image generator]. https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/imagen
Zenobē. (2025). Zenobē 200MW BESS operational, first to provide stability services for NESO. Solar Power Portal. Available at: https://www.solarpowerportal.co.uk/zenobe-200mw-bess-operational-first-to-provide-stability-services-for-neso/
Wärtsilä. (2025). Wärtsilä to deploy BESS solution at 600MWh Scotland project. Solar Power Portal. Available at: https://www.solarpowerportal.co.uk/wartsila-to-deploy-bess-solution-at-600mwh-scotland-project
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN). (2025). Connecting renewable energy to the grid. Available at: https://www.ssen.co.uk/renewables-connection/
Zenobē. (2025). Zenobē’s role in the UK’s green energy future. Available at: https://www.zenobegroup.com