Construction is officially underway on a battery storage project in North Yorkshire that is said will keep the lights on for up to two hours at more than half a million homes.

Major power supplier SSE Renewables has signed deals with a Hertfordshire and a Chinese-owned company to deliver its largest battery storage project at Monk Fryston, North Yorkshire.

A ceremony to mark the start of construction works on the 320MW facility took place on last week with representatives from SSE Renewables, principal contractors Morrison Energy Services, and energy storage supplier Sungrow, in attendance.

The project is SSE’s largest battery storage facility in construction and one of the largest of its kind in the UK. Once completed, the site could power over half a million homes for up to two hours at a time, during times of peak demand.

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To mark this significant project milestone, SSE Renewables, Morrison Energy Services, and Sungrow have planted a ceremonial tree near the entrance to the site.

Heather Donald, Director of Onshore Wind, Solar & Battery, SSE Renewables said: “To be building a battery project of this size and scale is a huge testament to how far we have come in such a short space of time, with our first 50MW battery asset at Salisbury already entering full operations earlier this year.

“Battery storage projects like this one at Monk Fryston will be vital in reaching the UK’s net zero targets, providing flexibility to the grid when the sun isn’t shining, and the wind isn’t blowing."

Donnie Whyte, Managing Director at Morrison Energy Services, said: “Following our team commencing work in the spring of this year, we have made significant progress in preparing the site for the upcoming works.

"We have been innovative across our construction methodology and ensured minimum impact to the environment and carbon footprint across all our activities.

“We look forward to continuing to work with SSE Renewables, Sungrow and our supply chain partners to deliver the upcoming phases of works, including the extensive civil construction and complex electrical infrastructure associated with such a large-scale energy storage facility."

Lewis Jindong Li President of Sungrow Europe said: "We are proud to be a key partner in the Monk Fryston project. This milestone represents a significant step towards achieving the UK’s net zero targets by ensuring energy resilience and grid stability.

"Sungrow’s advanced battery energy storage solutions are designed to deliver efficiency, reliability, and scalability, supporting the transition to a sustainable energy future.”

SSE’s first operational battery storage facility at Salisbury (50MW) entered full operations earlier this year, with a further two projects in construction at Ferrybridge (150MW) and Fiddler’s Ferry (150MW).

With work at Monk Fryston now underway, construction is expected to be completed by early 2026.

Once complete, the site will be capable of powering approximately 533,000 homes for up to two hours at a time.