Powersystems have been awarded the contract for the design, procurement, installation, testing, commissioning, energisation and hand over of the electrical balance of plant works associated with the proposed Cowley Private Wire Network, also known as the Energy Superhub Oxford for Pivot Power / EDF Renewables.
This is a prestigious project to be involved in, with the electrification of the Oxford City’s transport links, providing EV charging infrastructure at strategic locations.
The project is located in Cowley, Oxford. The works comprise of 33 kV private wire network between Pivot Power’s BESS at National Grid’s Cowley Substation, Oxford Bus Company bus station and Redbridge Park and Ride. It includes HV AC switchgear and underground cabling, an earthing system, foundation groundworks, substation access control, electrical substations, and associated control and monitoring works.
The works will be connected to the Cowley Battery System 33 kV network at the outgoing terminals of the dedicated private wire network metering circuit breaker on the Battery System BESS 33kV switchboard the Point of Connection, (POC).
Providing CoP3 metered 33 kV connections to customers at the outgoing terminals of dedicated metering circuit breakers at an Oxford Bus Company substation and the Redbridge substation.
The Private Wire network crosses private land leased to Pivot Power, public highways including cycle ways and residential areas and private land used as a bus depot and a Park and Ride for the City of Oxford.
The bus depot houses c.120 buses and the park and ride houses c.1400 public parking spaces.
Both sites are active transport links for the city and are extremely busy transport hubs.
The Energy Superhub Oxford is UK’s first grid-scale battery storage system directly connected to the transmission-network as part of the £41 million Energy Superhub Oxford (ESO) project and has recently been activated by Pivot Power, part of EDF Renewables, Wärtsilä, the global technology company, and Habitat Energy, the battery storage optimisation specialists.
The government-backed project, integrates energy storage, electric vehicle (EV) charging, low carbon heating and smart energy management technologies to decarbonise Oxford by 2040 and creates a blueprint for other towns and cities to achieve net zero.
The 50 MW lithium-ion battery energy storage system will be directly connected to National Grid’s high-voltage transmission system at the Cowley substation on the outskirts of Oxford. It is the first part of what will be the world’s largest hybrid battery, combining lithium-ion and vanadium redox flow systems, which is due to be fully operational later this year. The energy storage system will provide essential flexibility to cost-effectively integrate more renewables, increase system resilience and future-proof the UK’s electricity network.
About Energy Superhub Oxford
Energy Superhub Oxford (ESO) is one of three demonstrator projects part-funded by the UK government’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund under its “Prospering from the Energy Revolution” (PFER) programme. ESO – a collaboration between Pivot Power, Habitat Energy, Invinity Energy Systems, Kensa Contracting, Oxford University, and Oxford City Council – will showcase rapid electric vehicle charging, hybrid battery storage, low carbon heating, and smart energy management to improve air quality and accelerate Oxford’s zero carbon journey.
Notes to Editors:
Contact Information:
- This article is written by Jules Daly, Marketing and Communications Manager at Powersystems UK.
- Email jules.daly@powersystemsuk.com Telephone 01454 318000
- Photography Copyright please credit all images used to powersystemsuk.co.uk
Powersystems are powering the transition to a carbon free future
As a high voltage specialist electrical engineering company with over 46 years (1977-2023) experience Powersystems have grown by reputation to become a trusted force in the design, installation and commissioning of electrical infrastructure across the UK.
Celebrating 26 years as the first Lloyds National Electricity Registration Scheme ‘s accredited Independent Connection Provider (ICP), Powersystems are capable of delivering contestable grid connections at voltages up to 132 kV.
Since 2000, Powersystems have connected over 6 Gigawatts of renewable energy generation to the UK electricity grid, along with decarbonisation technology which includes; wind energy projects, solar, anaerobic digestion, hydroelectric, electrical vehicle infrastructure, short term operating reserve STOR, combined heat and power (CHP), Grid stability projects like rotating stabilisers, and battery energy storage systems (BESS) as well as commercial industrial private wire networks.
Working with partners, delivering sustainable power solutions, proudly the Powersystems high voltage specialist team have connected 30% of all U.K. onshore wind farms.
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