Battery storage in the UK: what the surge in projects means for your sites

Over the last year, grid scale battery storage in the UK has moved from “emerging” to “everywhere you look”.

On 2 December, RWE confirmed its largest UK battery energy storage facility at Pembroke in South Wales. It is a 350 MW, 700 MWh, two hour lithium ion system with 212 containers, with construction due to start in 2026 and operation targeted for 2028. At the same time, the UK’s new National Wealth Fund has joined private investors to launch a £500 million platform to build, own and operate grid scale battery storage assets across the country.

For developers, utilities and landowners, battery storage is now a mainstream piece of energy and infrastructure planning, with direct implications for land use, consents, access, utilities and safety.

Where the UK battery storage market is now

Recent data shows just how fast the market is moving.

• The UK now has around 6.8 to 6.9 GW of operational battery storage capacity, with roughly 1.4 GW commissioned in 2025 alone, already ahead of the total commissioned in 2024. There are nearly 2,000 projects in the pipeline, around 6.5 GW under construction and more than 60 GW with planning approval.
• In August 2025, 427 MW and 854 MWh of new grid scale battery capacity came online in a single month.
• The government’s Clean Power Action Plan suggests that 23 to 27 GW of battery storage could be needed by 2030 to support a decarbonised power system.

Alongside headline projects such as RWE’s Pembroke development and the Thorpe Marsh scheme in South Yorkshire, which has secured around £1 billion in capital, battery storage is becoming a default consideration on many solar, wind, industrial and grid connection sites.

Returns are also maturing. Industry analysis suggests battery energy storage systems in Great Britain earned around £70,000 per MW per year in September, with some units earning even higher revenues where trading strategies and technology allow longer discharge.

Policy and regulation are catching up

The UK government has committed to supporting both short duration battery storage and long duration technologies as part of its clean power and energy security plans, including a specific cap and floor scheme for long duration electricity storage to be delivered by Ofgem.

On the regulatory side, storage is moving deeper into mainstream regimes. There have been consultations on designing a policy framework for long duration storage and on bringing battery storage projects within environmental permitting rules, alongside draft national guidance on planning and fire safety for grid scale battery energy storage systems.

In practice, that means greater scrutiny of:

• Site layout, separation distances and access routes for emergency services
• Proximity to neighbouring uses, rights of way and sensitive receptors
• Flood risk and surface water management
• Grid connection routing and interaction with existing utilities

For project teams, having accurate survey data early is the difference between a straightforward planning process and lengthy redesign.

What this means for your projects

If you are involved in energy, infrastructure or large scale commercial development, battery storage is likely to touch your work in at least three ways:

1. Standalone battery sites
   Developers are securing land near substations and grid nodes. Typical issues include site access for heavy vehicles, topography that affects container layout and drainage, and the exact route of underground utilities that might constrain cable runs or foundations.

2. Co-located storage with solar, wind or industrial assets
   Battery storage is increasingly added to existing or planned generation assets to smooth output and capture additional value. That increases the density of plant on site and raises questions about clearances, service corridors, easements and safe working areas.

3. Grid and network upgrades
   As DNOs and transmission operators strengthen the network, battery storage interacts with wider upgrades, from new substations to cable corridors and transport links. A clear picture of what sits above and below ground is essential for safe delivery and long term operation.

Where Survey Solutions can add value

Battery projects move quickly once investment is committed. Design teams need reliable information on constraints, capacity and risk from day one. Survey Solutions can support across the lifecycle of battery storage schemes with:

Topographic and land surveys
Accurate base plans for site selection, concept design and planning. We map levels, features, boundaries and access, showing how battery containers, transformers, inverters and control buildings can be arranged efficiently on the available land.

Underground utility and drainage mapping
Battery sites are often close to existing substations, pipelines, roads or industrial facilities. PAS 128 compliant utility surveys and CCTV drainage investigations help you avoid clashes, design safe cable routes and understand any upgrades needed to drainage and outfalls before you break ground.

Drone and LiDAR surveys
For larger or more complex sites we use UAVs and mobile mapping to capture rapid, high density data. This is ideal for multi hectare battery and solar parks, former industrial sites, quarries and landfill locations, and can feed directly into 3D design environments.

Measured building surveys
Where batteries are integrated with existing substations or industrial buildings, detailed measured surveys and 3D models provide a clear picture of current assets. That helps with layout planning, clearances, structural checks and compliance with design standards.

Environmental and Structural monitoring
Construction and operation bring new structural and environmental risks. We provide monitoring of structures and embankments, plus environmental monitoring such as noise, dust and vibration where required, so you can evidence compliance and respond quickly if thresholds are approached.

Site engineering support
During construction, our site engineering teams support setting out, as built verification and control networks. This keeps container layouts, cable trenches, roads and drainage aligned with design, reducing the risk of rework and delays.