GRAHAM has completed a £6.9m state-of-the-art battery energy storage system at Dunore Point Water Treatment Works (WTW), on behalf of long-standing client NI Water.

Construction commenced in February 2023, to deliver NI Water’s goals of reducing its carbon footprint after becoming one of the first public sector organisations to install a battery energy storage system.

The 4.1 MW battery is powered by an existing solar farm at one of NI Water’s largest water treatment plants, Dunore Point, Antrim.

The battery boasts a 5.6 MWh (megawatt hour) total capacity which helps to store surplus energy generated onsite from c.24,000 solar panels. During periods of low customer demand, NI Water can store this renewable energy to use later during peak times. The company can therefore power its operations at a lower cost and keep water flowing.

The battery also has flexibility to provide power back to the grid when required, to help support grid stability and provide greater resilience in the network to benefit NI society and economy. By generating its own renewable power, NI Water will reduce its costs and generate income from this installation.

PJ McCaffery, Contracts Director for GRAHAM said: “We are delighted to have delivered this project for our long-standing client NI Water, supporting their sustainable goals of becoming more energy efficient through innovative energy projects.

Working collaboratively with key stakeholders such as Arup, NI Water, NI Electricity Networks, and supply chain, including our civil designer Doran and specialist Scotts Electrical and Fluence was key to the project’s success.

We aim to deliver a lasting impact on all our projects, by transforming and improving the built environment for the communities we serve. This project is a fantastic example of innovation and our expertise in the water sector, and we look forward to continuing our relationship with NI Water on future projects”.

Jo Aston, Chair at NI Water said, “NI Water’s Power of Water Report outlined practical examples of how NI Water planned to play a pivotal role in decarbonising our energy system. This Dunore Point project is just one of the many initiatives we committed to in this Report. It is great to see tangible results on the ground through the deployment of a state-of-the-art battery energy storage system.

“The large-scale battery will provide greater resilience for both NI Water and the wider network across Northern Ireland. It will store renewable energy generated onsite, avoiding peak tariffs, and enable more capacity for renewables to be connected to the grid. We will be able to provide electricity system services to the national grid operator which in turn has the potential to generate income for NI Water and help offset other costs.”

Pete Gray, Associate Director, Energy, Water & Resources at Arup, commented: “With sustainable development at the core of everything we do, Arup is delighted to have supported NI Water with this first large-scale battery system in collaboration with contractor GRAHAM, their supply chain including Scotts Electrical Services, Fluence, and stakeholders such as NIE-N and SONI, leveraging our energy specialists’ technical and economic modelling expertise. This important project will contribute to NI Water’s journey to achieving Net Zero for the energy it uses by 2030.”