Graham, a construction firm in Northern Ireland, has completed a battery energy storage system (BESS) worth £6.9m at Dunore Point Water Treatment Works (WTW). The project was conducted on behalf of their client, NI Water.
Construction began in February 2023 to fulfil NI Water’s target of reducing its carbon footprint, following its achievement of becoming one of the first public sector entities to adopt a battery energy storage system.
The 4.1MW battery is powered by an already established solar farm at Dunore Point, Antrim, which is one of NI Water’s largest water treatment plants.
With a total capacity of 5.6MWh, the battery stores excess energy from approximately 24,000 solar panels. By generating renewable energy internally, NI Water anticipates cost savings and revenue generation from this installation.
PJ McCaffery, contracts director for Graham, commented:
“Working collaboratively with key stakeholders such as Arup, NI Water, NI Electricity Networks, and supply chain, including our civil designer Doran and specialist Scotts Electrical and Fluence was key to the project’s success.
“This project is a fantastic example of innovation and our expertise in the water sector, and we look forward to continuing our relationship with NI Water on future projects.”
Chair at NI Water, Jo Aston, added:
“The large-scale battery will provide greater resilience for both NI Water and the wider network across Northern Ireland. It will store renewable energy generated onsite, avoiding peak tariffs, and enable more capacity for renewables to be connected to the grid.”
According to Pete Gray, associate director for energy, Water & Resources, at Arup noted that the project marks a significant step towards achieving NI Water’s goal of Net Zero energy usage by 2030, contributing to Northern Ireland’s sustainable development efforts.
[Image: Dr Sara Venning, CEO of NI Water and Gordon Nixon, Scotts Electrical Services Ltd]
