Sisk arm Farrans has started construction on the Berkswell Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in the West Midlands which when operational will have the capacity to power more than 500,000 homes for four hours.

The 200 MW/ 857MWh project located close to Solihull, for client BW ESS, is beginning to take shape, with early works progressing across the site.

Projects such as Berkswell enable the country’s electricity system to be more flexible and reliable. Battery storage can respond quickly to changes in supply and demand, helping to balance the grid and support vital services.

BW ESS is a global energy storage developer, owner and operator. The Berkswell site forms a part of its portfolio of larger, strategically located storage assets.

Barry McDonagh, project manager for Farrans, said: “This is an exciting project to be involved in as the UK adopts more resilient and sustainable approaches to manage its energy network.”