Invinity Energy Systems has completed the delivery of 20.7MWh of Vanadium Flow Batteries to the Copwood VFB Energy Hub in East Sussex. It will be Europe’s largest vanadium flow battery installation when it enters service later this year. The project pairs 90 vanadium flow batteries – a form of long‑duration energy storage – with a 3MW solar array to enable more home-grown, low‑cost solar power to be used when needed.

The project, a UK-first at this scale, highlights the growing importance of British energy security amid rising energy prices and at a time when energy security remains high on the national agenda due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Unlike conventional batteries designed for short bursts, vanadium flow batteries are built for long‑duration ‘energy shifting’ – storing power for hours and releasing it later. The battery array at Copwood, which has a capacity roughly equivalent to the daily electricity needs of around 3,000 homes, will store surplus daytime solar and discharge it back to the grid in the evening and overnight as required.