Trafford Battery Energy Storage System
The Trafford Battery Energy Storage System is a ready to build, brown field project with a confirmed connection capacity of 1040MWe onto the National Grid 400Kv network in October 2025.
The Trafford Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) is a great opportunity to invest approximately £700 million in a large-scale, 1GW MW, 2 hour duration BESS project at an advanced stage of development.When completed, it will connect to the National Grid’s transmission system at 400kV with the potential to expand the site with further phases up to more than 2GW.
The developer, Carlton Power, is offering to sell up to 100% of the project company, with a long-term lease for the site at Trafford Energy Park. This is strategically placed on the National Grid system for both the 400kV transmission network and high pressure gas, as well as the low pressure regional gas network, it is also close to the proposed HyNet Hydrogen networks.
Detailed planning has been obtained on the site for a 1040MWe × 2 hour duration facility with grid capacity and land available for future expansion to 2080MWe. Quarter 3 2023.
Location:
Carrington in Manchester
Investment type:
Capital investment - energy and infrastructure
Sector:
(Sustainable infrastructure, Energy storage)
Project promoter:
Carlton Power
Scale:
£700 to £800 million
Planning status:
Full planning consent
Time to Final Investment Decision (FID):
6-12 months
Sector and market opportunity
Battery energy storage is a key technology for the transition to low carbon power generation. Once operational, the Trafford facility will operate in the UK energy market, provide balancing market and ancillary services to the grid, and be capable of capturing multiple income streams from long term market volatility.
Carlton Power is an experienced power project developer offering to sell up to 100% of the project SPV, ideally to a strategic investor looking for a project that is ready to be implemented.
Alternatively, Carlton Power would be able to continue to support development and implementation of the project on joint venture basis with a financial investor.
Location
The project is located on Trafford Low Carbon Energy Park, in a long-time industrial area on the site of an old coal fired power station. Trafford Low Carbon Energy Park is being developed as a multi-stage, multi-faceted energy development to support Greater Manchester’s net zero 2038 target – along with the UK’s net zero 2050 target.
These projects include:
- the Li-ion Battery Energy Storage Project
- a Cryobattery, Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES) project
- green hydrogen production
- potential hydrogen fuelled Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT)
- net zero industrial projects
Given the prior use of the site as the ash storage area of a former coal fired power station, implementation of the development will be designed and managed to remediate the site and mitigate potential legacy ground contamination.
Connectivity
Manchester benefits from a major international airport and excellent rail and road links to the rest of the UK. This includes a 2.5-hour connection to London by train.
Local talent and skills
Manchester and Liverpool have strong industrial and services sectors with a highly trained and flexible workforce.
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) highlights
BESS is an essential enabling technology for net zero as the proportion of intermittent renewable power generation increases.
Promoters and partnerships
Carlton Power has been active in developing power projects in the UK for more than 25 years and has strong links with both local and national government organisations.
It has a proven track record of delivering more than 2.5GW of thermal and renewable energy projects, which are now in operation.
