- Kilmarnock South is a 350MW four-hour duration BESS project located in southern Scotland. Now under construction, the project is expected to commission in early 2028. The project represents an investment commitment of over EUR 270 million, further strengthening Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners’ (CIP) contribution to UK energy security.
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), through its fourth flagship fund, Copenhagen Infrastructure IV (CI IV), has taken Financial Investment Decision (FID) for Kilmarnock South, a 350 MW / 1,400 MWh lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS) located in south Ayrshire, southern Scotland. Construction is now underway with commercial operations expected in the first quarter of 2028.
At four hours of duration, once operational, Kilmarnock South will be the longest-duration asset in CIP's growing UK storage portfolio. The battery will store surplus Scottish wind power that would otherwise go unused and release it to the grid when the network has capacity.
Kilmarnock South is CIP's fourth investment in transmission-connected BESS projects in Scotland, joining Coalburn 1, which reached commercial operations in August 2026, Coalburn 2, and Devilla. Upon full commissioning, CIP’s four Scottish BESS projects will collectively offer a total energy storage capacity of 4.4GWh, the equivalent of almost a third of Great Britain’s operational battery energy storage today.
CIP’s Scottish BESS portfolio (Coalburn 1, Coalburn 2, Devilla and Kilmarnock South) will have total power capacity of 1.85 GW and 4.4 GWh of energy storage, equivalent to the electricity demand of over 5.5 million households, across a two-hour period.
Nischal Agarwal, Partner at CIP said: 'CIP is pleased to add Kilmarnock South to our growing portfolio of UK battery projects, which, once commissioned, will be the longest-duration BESS asset in our UK fleet. Well-sited battery energy storage projects provide valuable power system flexibility which enables the full benefits of low-cost renewables to be captured, strengthening security of supply and helping to both cut and stabilise energy bills for consumers.'
Michael Shanks, UK Energy Minister, said: 'A former coal mine at Coalburn is now home to one of Europe’s largest batteries storing clean power, while at Kilmarnock South, a new GBP 232 million battery will store even more Scottish wind power for when it’s needed most. Together, these projects mean less homegrown power going to waste, greater energy security, and lower bills over the long term.'
Source: Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners
