One of the biggest batteries in Europe made by Elon Musk’s tech firm Tesla will be installed in a Norfolk village to store energy produced by the world’s largest offshore wind farm.

Danish energy company Ørsted has invested in a Tesla battery energy storage system at its Swardeston converter station near Norwich for its Hornsea Three offshore wind farm.

When electricity generation exceeds demand in windy and sunny conditions, the battery will store excess energy so it can be discharged later to help balance the grid.

This means there will be more power available during peak times, when energy is more expensive.

The Tesla battery will be operational by the end of 2026, with an energy storage capacity of 600 megawatt hours (MWh) – equivalent to the daily energy use of 80,000 UK homes.

The converter station for the Hornsea Three Wind Farm takes shape next to the A47 near Norwich The converter station for the Hornsea Three Wind Farm takes shape next to the A47 near Norwich (Image: Mike Page)

Hornsea Three cable work near WeybourneHornsea Three cable work near Weybourne (Image: Mike Page)

Duncan Clark, head of Ørsted UK & Ireland, said: “Our 12 existing UK offshore wind farms are providing a huge amount of clean energy to the grid.

"The battery will help ensure that renewable energy is used in the best possible way by storing it when demand is lower and then releasing it back into the system when it’s really needed.

"This maximises the potential of renewable energy whilst providing increased energy security and value to consumers."

A map of the Horsea Three cable path - from the wind farm in the North Sea and south through Norfolk to the substation near the village of Swardeston, south of NorwichA map of the Horsea Three cable path - from the wind farm in the North Sea and south through Norfolk to the substation near the village of Swardeston, south of Norwich (Image: Newsquest)

Mike Snyder, senior director of Megapack at Tesla, said: “Tesla is excited to be part of this industry-leading project with an exceptional partner.

"This project demonstrates the value and flexibility of Tesla’s best-in-class power electronics, providing enhanced grid stability and enabling more renewables on the grid."

 

Ørsted's ​Hornsea Three wind farm

Ørsted's ​Hornsea Three wind farm will be the world’s single largest offshore wind farm, producing enough renewable green energy to power more than 3.3 million UK homes.

Located 120 km off the Norfolk coast in the North Sea, the wind farm will have up to 231 offshore turbines, generating 2.9 gigawatts (GW) of energy.