Abu Dhabi-based clean energy company Masdar has acquired UK-based battery energy storage system (BESS) developer Arlington Energy in an effort to expand its presence in the UK and Europe.
Arlington Energy is based in London and has an asset portfolio of over 170MW.
The acquisition of Arlington Energy will allow for the development, construction, operational management, and financing of BESS projects under one Masdar-Arlington platform.
Both companies recognise the increasing importance of BESS to provide flexibility for the grid, mitigate intermittency challenges caused by renewables and ensure energy is available at peak demand to help manage consumer costs.
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According to Masdar, in order to meet renewable energy targets, Europe could need as much as 200GW of storage capacity by 2030 and, according to National Grid, the UK could require as much as 50GW by 2050.
Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar, said in a statement, “Masdar and Arlington Energy share a long-standing belief that greater investment in energy storage is critical if countries are to expand their renewable energy portfolios and achieve their net-zero ambitions. By working together, we will be able to provide a more resilient and flexible energy resource, helping to accelerate the UK and other European countries clean energy transitions…”
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Matthew Clare, co-founder and director of Arlington Energy, said: “This partnership creates a business with huge potential, immediately capable of delivering at scale domestically, and in other markets in the future, as more nations join the UAE and UK in setting net-zero targets.”
Besides the Arlington acquisition, Masdar intends to expand into the UK’s offshore wind market, adding to its current investments in London Array, Dudgeon offshore wind farm and Hywind Scotland.
