The Company will support the engineering design of the BESS at Ørsted’s wind farm project in Norfolk in the UK, intended to balance output onto the energy grid.
LONDON (October 17, 2024) AECOM, the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, has been appointed by Tesla to support the delivery of one of the world’s largest battery energy storage systems (BESSs) for offshore wind. Set to be installed on the same site as the onshore converter station for Ørsted’s Hornsea 3 Offshore Wind Farm, the BESS will help provide stability to the UK energy supply.
AECOM’s appointment follows the announcement in June that Tesla will provide the BESS for Ørsted’s 2.9GW Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm, set to be operational by the end of 2026. Intended to increase storage capacity for periods where electricity generation exceeds demand, the BESS helps to balance the grid by discharging it at a later point, when generation has fallen or demand risen.
“Offshore wind will play an important role in the UK’s energy mix and expanding renewable energy storage will be key to maximising its potential. We’re excited to be supporting Tesla in its delivery of the battery energy storage system for the Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm,” says Eloise John, Director of Energy at AECOM UK and Ireland. “The benefits this project will provide to the UK’s energy grid – addressing the intermittency of renewable energy sources, thereby increasing system stability while reducing price volatility – will help accelerate the growing adoption of these types of batteries for offshore wind and beyond. This fantastic project shows the potential of this technology at a global level and highlights the need for energy shortage as an essential component of the UK’s energy strategy for transitioning to net zero.”
AECOM is supporting Tesla on the BESS project with detailed design services for protection and control, and substation, plant and cabling systems, which is set to continue up to the end of February 2025. The battery will be installed in Swardeston, near Norwich, on the same site as the onshore substation for Hornsea 3. It will have a capacity of 600MWh – the equivalent to the daily energy use of 80,000 UK homes – and a power rating of 300MW.
About AECOM
AECOM is the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, new energy, and the environment, our public- and private-sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical and digital expertise, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm and its Professional Services business had revenue of $14.4 billion in fiscal year 2023. See how we are delivering sustainable legacies for generations to come at aecom.com and @AECOM.
