Masdar has started commercial operations at the 35-megawatt 70-megawatt-hour battery energy storage system in Rochdale the company announced. The facility provides enough clean power for 35 000 homes per day based on two charging and discharging cycles and can react to electricity supply and demand shifts within milliseconds. It will deliver grid balancing services as part of the UK’s expanding renewable energy infrastructure.[[1]](https://www.renews.biz/other-news/energy-storage/masdar-starts-rochdale-battery-operations/)
The Rochdale site represents the second Masdar battery project to enter service in Britain after the 20-megawatt 40-megawatt-hour Welkin Road facility in Stockport began operations in December 2025. Masdar committed to a £1 billion investment in a 3-gigawatt-hour pipeline of battery energy storage projects following its 2022 acquisition of Arlington Energy according to project updates. Financing for four schemes including Rochdale closed last month with Masdar securing as much as £97 million from SMBC and ING.[[1]](https://www.renews.biz/other-news/energy-storage/masdar-starts-rochdale-battery-operations/)
Husain Al Meer the executive director of global offshore wind and UK at Masdar highlighted the significance of the launch. “Beginning commercial operations at our Rochdale facility is a key milestone in our £1 billion commitment to UK battery storage” Al Meer said. The company continues development of additional projects in Chesterfield and Cardiff that together total 150 megawatts and 300 megawatt-hours.
These efforts support the UK government’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan which aims for 27 gigawatts of battery storage capacity by the end of the decade. Battery systems store surplus renewable generation during low-demand periods and release it at peak times thereby stabilising the grid an approach detailed in government strategy documents. Masdar’s focus on repurposing brownfield and former industrial land aligns with broader sustainability objectives across the sector.
The pipeline builds on the first project’s success in Stockport where similar technology has already demonstrated value in balancing intermittent renewable supply. Industry analyses indicate that scaling storage capacity remains essential as wind and solar account for a rising share of UK electricity generation. Masdar’s initiatives add both operational assets and forthcoming capacity to meet those requirements.
Further projects in the portfolio are advancing through planning and construction phases with emphasis on community engagement and environmental enhancements at each location. The combined portfolio once complete will contribute measurable flexibility to national electricity operations. Masdar continues to position the UK as a core market within its international clean energy portfolio.
