Teesside GigaPark: Grid-Scale Storage Aligned With Port Electrification

A new large-scale battery energy storage system is planned at Wilton International, Redcar, to address grid flexibility and enable shore-side power for vessels. The scheme covers approximately 32 acres and is configured for an initial rated output of 1 GW with four hours of storage (about 4 GWh), with provision to expand to eight hours (8 GWh). A high-voltage 400 kV connection is secured to integrate the asset by 2028. The site has been selected for its existing industrial infrastructure and proximity to transmission capacity and port operations. Once operational, the facility is expected to support local industry with firm, low-carbon electricity and reduce renewable curtailment on the regional network.

The configuration employs modular lithium-ion containers arranged in strings with medium-voltage collection to step-up transformers and a grid interface at 400 kV. Four-hour duration provides balancing during evening peaks and low-wind periods, with the planned expansion to eight hours increasing the system’s ability to absorb surplus offshore wind output and release it during constrained intervals. This operating profile is intended to lessen curtailment, currently a significant cost on the GB system, and to contribute to frequency response, reserve, and voltage support services. The project includes site civil works for foundations, fire-safety separation, drainage, and internal cable routing, together with a structural health and thermal monitoring regime across the battery blocks.

A defining element is the dedicated port electrification corridor designed to provide shore power, commonly called cold ironing, and to recharge future electric or hybrid propulsion systems while alongside. The shore connection will help eliminate auxiliary engine use at berth, cutting local air pollutants and enabling compliance with tightening port-emissions requirements. The co-location of long-duration storage with shore-side infrastructure improves the quality of supply to the docks and buffers short-term load ramps when multiple vessels connect. Project documentation indicates around 200 construction roles during build-out, followed by long-term operational positions and a ring-fenced community benefit contribution. With national electricity demand projected to rise to mid-century and additional load expected from shipping electrification, this combined infrastructure provides a replicable model for industrial port regions.