Summer completion for Liverpool renewable energy grid project

When it begins operations in autumn, Lister Drive Greener Grid Park will help provide a stable supply of wind and solar energy to the region.

Renewable energy generator Statkraft is delivering the £25m project, which recently was granted a seal of approval from the Confederation of Business and Industry. CBI director general Tony Danker said he was “hugely impressed” by the grid park, both in terms of its scale and the technical expertise required to make it work.

Statkraft greener grid parks focus on maintaining grid stability while incorporating renewable energy. Because the amount of solar and wind energy generated fluctuates (due to weather, for instance), the supply of renewable energy is not steady or stable. This can mean that at certain times – like on a very sunny or windy day – the grid could be overloaded with renewable energy, potentially causing surges and blackouts. At other times, not enough power would be generated to meet demand.

The greener grid parks can help make sure the output of the renewable energy is steady, while also providing high inertia that mimics more traditional power stations. That inertia is important because it can act as a shock absorber for when big power changes happen. Lister Drive Greener Grid Park does this through equipment and technology created by Warrington-based company ABB.

• Digging into the issues between the grid and renewables: Listen to “How Britain’s ageing infrastructure could defeat its green ambitions”

“Finding ways to stabilise the national grid without the use of fossil fuels is integral to the UK’s ability to achieve its zero carbon ambitions,” said Guy Nicholson, head of grid integration UK at Statkraft. “Utilising ABB’s technology, our greener grid park will help provide a solution to this problem – maximising the amount of renewable energy being generated in Great Britain and distributed throughout Liverpool.”

ABB has also signed a contract to provide long-term maintenance services to the grid park.

Main contractor NRS Group has completed the first phase of the scheme and will continue building works into the summer.

Lister Drive Greener Grid Park is located off Carnegie Road in Tuebrook.