A CORNISH windfarm is forging a path for the sustainable supply of green electricity across the country.

In a trial project, energy has been exported from the Carland Cross windfarm for the first time thanks to a successful joint venture between ScottishPower Renewables (SPR) and Centrica.

The important milestone – a first for ScottishPower and its Spanish parent group, Iberdrola – means that energy stored in a 1MW battery system will soon be available to the Cornwall Local Energy Market (LEM) initiative, helping balance electricity supply and demand at a local level.

It also marks the start of an exciting pipeline of almost 1GW of battery storage projects for Scottish Power Renewables across its portfolio in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

In the journey to Net Zero, says SPR, batteries will play a key role in delivering the modern and flexible energy system that’s needed to achieve ambitious government targets, and provide a cleaner and greener future for everyone.

Batteries will also help the electricity system operator balance the supply of electricity to meet demand by providing extra power resources when needed.

Lindsay McQuade, CEO of ScottishPower Renewables, said: “With renewables set to become the backbone of the electricity system in the UK, we need to ensure the infrastructure is in place to make the best possible use of our fantastic natural resources to provide clean power and services to the grid when needed – not just when the wind is blowing and the sun is shining.

“Batteries mark a new era for renewable generation.

“The one at Carland Cross may be small in scale but it’s considerable in terms of what it means for the local energy system in Cornwall and what it means for ScottishPower.

“This will change the way the grid is managed by storing excess energy, so that it can be exported when the demand is there.

“This will ensure more and more of the electricity we use on a daily basis – which will only grow as we make the move to electric vehicles and heating – comes from a renewable source.

“We know that matters to our customers, it matters to our country, and it matters to our planet.”

“This really is a moment of history for ScottishPower and Iberdrola. What started as a small 1MW battery in Cornwall has launched an innovative programme that will create a clean and green legacy for generations to come, ensuring we can all enjoy a better future, quicker.”

Construction works for a 10MW solar scheme at Carland Cross are expected to get underway in early 2021.

This will make Carland Cross the UK’s first utility scale-energy park, combining wind, solar and storage.