Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV), part of Jameel Energy and headquartered in Madrid, through its majority-owned platform FRV Powertek, has submitted 1.8 GW of fully permitted solar and battery storage projects to the UK’s Gate 2 window of the NESO grid connection reform process.
These projects are seeking advanced connection dates before 2030, with proposed timelines between 2026 and 2029.The portfolio includes solar power plants and battery energy storage systems across multiple UK locations. Important BESS sites in the submission are the 400MW Bicker Fen, 400MW Stocking Pelham, 400MW Stow Manor, 200MW Ansty and 200MW Maes Melin BESS projects. The portfolio also features the 50MW Malice Farm hybrid solar and storage project, and two operationally protected 50 MW/200 MWh Hollybush and 50 MW/200 MWh Dunbar projects, each connection dates in 2026 and 2027.
This set of projects strengthens FRV’s position in the UK, where it launched its first storage facility, Holes Bay, in 2020. The company now operates three facilities - Contego and Clay Tye, bringing its operational capacity to 140 MW / 280 MWh.
Tom Guilfoyle, Managing Director, FRV UK, said the UK was the starting point for the company’s energy storage activities, with the new project marking another step in its expansion in the country. He added that the grid upgrade supports faster deployment of permitted low-carbon infrastructure and efforts to enhance grid resilience and progress toward a decarbonized electricity mix.
FRV Powertek managing director, Ravinder Shan, added, “The 1.8GW portfolio of projects that have been submitted into the Gate 2 grid reform process are protected, significantly advanced and will be ready to build once we receive firm connection dates from NESO.”