Hornchurch & Upminster MP, Julia Lopez, has welcomed Upminster’s role in the green energy revolution on a visit to Europe’s joint largest battery energy storage site (BESS) off Clay Tye Road.
The multi-national company, Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV), opened the Upminster battery hub in March as its first investment in London. The batteries on site are connected to the national power grid and are designed to store and then release extra power to people’s homes when needed, such as when thousands of kettles are put on during the half-time of key football matches. The site has enough electricity to supply 200,000 homes for two hours, mostly generated by renewable sources.
Battery sites like the new development in Upminster are key to the green energy revolution currently underway in the UK, as the government seeks to provide long-term energy security to British people and businesses from sources that are both clean and cheap.
Mrs Lopez and her team were shown around the site by FRV’s Spanish Chief Executive, who has been tasked with setting up a company in the UK because of its leading edge in battery storage technology.
"North-East London and Thames Estuary Continues to be Investment Hotspot" Says MP
Alongside her ministerial roles in the science, technology and culture departments, Mrs Lopez is the government’s Ministerial Champion for the Thames Estuary, where projects are underway to power London and its industries with renewable energy. The government has also introduced a freeport in the Estuary using Brexit freedoms to attract manufacturing back into the region.
Havering is playing a key role in the Estuary’s development, with Havering Council also backing the development of a data centre by Digital Reef. If successful, the data centre project could bring an estimated 2,370 jobs to Hornchurch and Upminster, as well as substantial investment in the borough.
Havering Council has asked Mrs Lopez to advocate for bringing the centre into the Thames Freeport zone so that it can retain 100% of business rates generated by the site. This proposal was a key part of a recent discussion between Mrs Lopez and Communities Secretary, Michael Gove, in parliament in order to put Havering Council on a sustainable financial footing.
Mrs Lopez has long promoted the region as a great destination for inward investment and business so that constituents benefit from better roads, brownfield land in the south of the borough that can be developed for housing and residents can secure fulfilling careers in the industries of the future.
Following the visit, Julia commented:
It is brilliant to see Upminster play such an important role in getting green energy into people’s homes. That’s what residents want to see - modern power networks that give them energy security in a clean way.
I am working hard to get Havering the investment it needs so that we can deliver better connectivity, brilliant jobs and more homes for everyone long into the future. That’s what I do as Ministerial Champion for the Thames Estuary, and that is my focus as the local MP for Hornchurch & Upminster. Using Brexit freedoms to deliver a local freeport will see these kinds of exciting developments continue, and if we can get Havering Council higher sums in business rates, we can deliver better local services for everyone too.
The UK’s reputation for having industry leading experts in battery technology, as well as our strong renewable energy industry, made it an attractive destination for FRV to invest.
The Thames Estuary Growth Board, who Julia works with to attract international investment, plans to generate £190bn for the UK economy and create 1.3 million jobs by the year 2050.
Julia added:
FRV are a big multi-national company at the cutting edge of their industry, and they’ve chosen to come here to the UK due to our expertise in battery technology and renewables. Their decision to choose Upminster for their flagship site is a huge vote of confidence in our region. It shows what great places North East London, Essex and the wider Thames Estuary are for inward investment.
