European expansion of energy storage: Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners to construct the continent's largest battery system
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners Leads European Battery Storage Expansion
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), the UK's largest battery storage investor, has taken a significant step forward in Europe's energy transition with the initiation of construction for two new Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) in Scotland. This move marks an investment of approximately £800 million, further bolstering CIP's position as a global leader in renewable energy storage.
The two new projects, located in South Lanarkshire and Fife, near the town of Kincardine, will add to CIP's existing BESS portfolio, which includes Coalburn 1 and Coalburn 2. Together, the three projects represent a total power capacity of 1.5GW, capable of storing and supplying the grid with a combined 3GWh of electricity.
Nischal Agarwal, a partner at CIP, emphasised the importance of battery storage in enhancing energy security, providing the grid with flexibility, and enabling the rapid deployment of low-cost renewables. He stated, "Battery storage is crucial for the world to meet its energy storage goals and transition to renewable energy sources."
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has highlighted the role of battery storage in alleviating grid congestion, especially in times of high supply and offering an outlet to capture and store excess renewable electricity. The IEA also stated that batteries need to lead a sixfold increase in global energy storage to enable the world to meet 2030 targets.
The growth in battery storage has been driven by falling costs, advancing innovation, and supportive industrial policies. In 2023, growth in batteries outpaced almost all other clean energy technologies. Shipments of energy storage batteries reached approximately 250–258 GWh in the first half of 2025, representing a near 100% year-on-year increase.
Lithium-ion battery technologies, especially lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, dominate the global energy storage market, accounting for over 90% of cumulative installed capacity. The market is expected to reach USD 295 billion in 2025, growing at a CAGR of ~9.5% to USD 465 billion by 2030.
CIP manages 12 funds and has raised approximately €31 billion for energy and associated infrastructure investments. More than 180 international institutional investors have invested in CIP's funds.
Recent developments underscore the growing scale and strategic importance of battery storage. Examples include Saudi Electricity Company's 2.5 GW/12.5 GWh BESS contract to support 15 GW of solar, TotalEnergies' deployment of 100 MW/200 MWh battery projects in Germany, and other large-scale projects in Australia and American Samoa enhancing grid performance and renewable integration.
In summary, battery storage is rapidly expanding as a foundational technology supporting the global transition to renewable energy, mitigating grid congestion, enhancing grid flexibility, and enabling deeper renewable integration while lowering overall system costs. The convergence of technological advances, scale-up of deployments, and enabling policies is driving this accelerating growth trajectory worldwide.
Data-and-cloud-computing technologies play a crucial role in the management and analysis of the vast amounts of data generated by renewable energy systems, including battery storage facilities, as they provide scalable, efficient solutions for real-time monitoring and optimizing grid performance.
The expansion of battery storage in Europe, driven by technological advancements and supportive industrial policies, underscores the increasing importance of technology in enabling the transition to a sustainable energy future.
