Elements Green has completed the acquisition of the Newarthill Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project from Geocore, marking a further expansion of its UK energy storage portfolio.
The Newarthill project, located near Motherwell, Scotland, is a 300MW BESS with a planned two-hour duration and the potential to expand to four hours. This transmission-connected asset will play a key role in supporting the UK’s energy transition.
Planning consent for the project was granted on 4 February 2025. A connection is available via an adjacent 275kV substation, with a grid offer secured from NESO as part of the ongoing grid reform process, supporting progression towards delivery. Energisation is currently targeted for October 2029.
Bird & Bird and Brodies acted as legal advisors to Elements Green. Savills Earth Capital Advisors acted as financial advisor to Geocore on the transaction.
Strategic acquisition
The acquisition further strengthens Elements Green’s UK BESS pipeline as demand grows for long-duration, transmission connected storage assets capable of supporting renewable integration and managing increasing network volatility.
The project is positioned within a constrained part of the UK transmission network and is expected to play an important role in enabling higher penetration of renewable energy, supporting system stability and reducing reliance on fossil fuel backup generation.
The Newarthill project occupies a strategically important position around the B6 and B4 boundaries, where large-scale, transmission connected flexibility assets can deliver substantial system-wide benefits.
Elements Green secured full ownership, as the company continues to expand its presence across strategically important grid locations in the UK and internationally.
Supporting the energy transition
Battery storage is critical to balancing the UK’s electricity network as more intermittent renewable generation comes online.
Projects such as Newarthill will help improve frequency response and system stability, unlock additional renewable capacity, reduce network congestion and support decarbonisation of the power system.
Scotland’s renewables-heavy generation mix, combined with persistent transmission constraints, creates significant opportunities for strategically located BESS infrastructure. Constraints across the network can limit exports to demand centres further south, leading to curtailment and redispatch costs.
Large-scale battery projects such as Newarthill can help alleviate these constraints by absorbing excess renewable generation during congested periods and discharging power back to the network when demand increases. This improves overall system resilience while reducing reliance on a thermal peaking plant.
'This acquisition represents another important step in Elements Green’s strategy to build a portfolio of large-scale, transmission connected energy storage assets across key parts of the UK network.
Newarthill is a high-quality project located at a strategically important grid node within Scotland, where significant renewable generation coincides with growing system constraints and strong demand for network flexibility. As the UK continues to decarbonise its electricity system, projects of this scale and positioning will become increasingly important.
We would like to thank everyone involved in the transaction for their collaboration and hard work throughout the process.' Rasmus Friis, CEO of Elements Green
'After spending the past four years developing the Newarthill BESS project and navigating a complex period of grid queue reform it is hugely rewarding to have secured the right long term owner and funder. Newarthill sits at a critical grid node, where high urban demand coincides with significant renewable generation, making it an ideal asset for Elements Green as it deepens its presence in the UK BESS market. I’m confident the project will play a meaningful role in supporting wider system stability.' Lloyd Garvie, Director of Geocore
'The Geocore team were highly experienced and a pleasure to work with on this significant transaction, despite the complexities with navigating grid queue reform. This deal marked our second engagement with Elements Green, further supporting an efficient and well streamlined execution.
With well established experience on both the buy side and sell side in the UK BESS market, and underpinned by in house, bank grade financial modelling alongside a strong understanding of toll, cap and floor structures, we were able to provide robust valuation guidance from origination through to execution giving all parties confidence and delivering a predictable and successful outcome. We would like to thank Geocore, Elements Green and Sheppard & Wedderburn for their co-operation and professionalism.' David Cunningham, Co-Head of Savills Earth Capital Advisors
About Elements Green
Elements Green is a leading renewable energy developer headquartered in London, specialising in utility-scale solar PV and battery storage solutions. With a development pipeline exceeding 14GW, Elements Green is committed to advancing sustainable energy globally. Its experienced team has a 22-year track record in developing, financing, and managing renewable energy projects across the UK, EU, and internationally.
Elements Green excels in delivering projects from inception through construction and operation, ensuring optimised energy output and investor returns. As demand for efficient solar and storage solutions grows, the company is at the forefront of technological innovation.
Elements Green is the developer behind major international solar and BESS projects, including the Great North Road Solar & Biodiversity Park in the UK (1.1GW Solar PV + 440MW BESS), the Staythorpe BESS project in the UK (360MW / 720MWh BESS), the Eurimbula Renewable Energy Park in Australia (350MW Solar PV + 666MW BESS), and the Alfstedt project in Germany (400MW BESS).
Source: Elements Green
