Gorman Battery
Gorman, our world's first commercial-scale battery system
Energy storage Operating plants
The Gorman battery system, with an installed capacity of 50 MW, is our world's first commercial-scale battery system and the first in Ireland. This project is part of our commitment to promoting battery storage as a key driver of the world's energy transition.
Gorman battery
Energy storage is a key enabler for maximising the efficiency of renewable energy sources. In line with our commitment to drive its development and deployment, in 2022, we inaugurated Gorman – our world’s first commercial-scale battery system. This 50 megawatt (MW) facility with 25 MWh of power capacity is also our first ever renewable project in Ireland in over 25 years.
Located in County Meath, in the east of the country, the Gorman system is made up of more than 4,000 modules in 16 containers, which occupy an area the size of a football pitch. The project, the first of its kind in Ireland, required an investment of €28 million.
Its commissioning marks the culmination of the main initiative of the DS3 programme developed by Ireland's two transmission grid operators —EirGrid and SONI— to reinforce the grid in the face of increased renewable generation. Specifically, the Gorman battery will serve EirGrid for six years, contributing to the security and sustainability of the Irish electricity grid. The plan is to expand this storage system in the future to double its capacity to 100 MW.
A milestone for the energy transition in Ireland
Our sustainable growth strategy is based on promoting the electrification of the economy through investment in renewable energies, electricity grids and energy storage. Therefore, the deployment of batteries and techniques for their operation is a strategic priority in our work for the coming years, as they allow us to make renewable energy production more flexible and ensure its integration.
The Gorman battery system not only aligns with this commitment, but also contributes to the achievement of the goal set by the Irish Government to achieve emissions neutrality by 2050. The importance of this project is key for Charlie Jordan, CEO of ScottishPower Renewables: "With the commissioning of our first ever operational battery project of this size and scale, we mark an important milestone not only for Iberdrola in Ireland, but for Iberdrola worldwide.
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Iberdrola, world leader in renewable energies
At Iberdrola, we dare committed to renewable energy more than two decades ago as a fundamental pillar on which to build our safe, clean and competitive business model. Thanks to this vision, we are today world leaders in renewables, reaching 44,148 MW of clean energy in operation at the end of september 2024.
This commitment is reflected in our Strategic Plan, in which we will allocate €15.5bn gross to renewables. More than half of this amount is focused on offshore wind in the US, UK, France and Germany; 28% on onshore wind and 18% on solar.
10 years of West of Duddon Sands
ScottishPower Renewables and Ørsted are celebrating a decade of delivery in offshore wind as West of Duddon Sands windfarm marks its tenth year of operation.
Built and operated as a 50/50 partnership, the West of Duddon Sands windfarm was brought to life in 2014 and since then it has been powering a cleaner and greener future from the Irish Sea, around 14km off the Cumbrian coastline.
Over the last ten years, it has produced enough renewable energy to power the equivalent of around 340,000 homes each year – that’s the same as the size of the city of Leeds.
The project marked investment of more than £1 billion and supported more than 1,000 jobs at peak construction, with around 40 long-term skilled jobs created at its operations and maintenance base in Barrow-in Furness.
It also supported multi-million investment, jobs and growth at Belfast Harbour – the first purpose-built offshore wind installation and pre-assembly harbour in the UK and Ireland.
In its ten years of existence West of Duddon Sands also marks a milestone in the advancing construction technology of offshore wind. At the time of construction, the windfarm benefitted from using two of the world’s largest and most advanced vessels to install the foundations and turbine components, allowing work to continue offshore during one of the worst winters for storm force winds.
As its first-ever offshore windfarm, it has cemented its place in Iberdrola history and paved the way for ScottishPower to become one of the biggest players in the UK.