Scotland’s battery energy storage sector has reached a turning point. By December 2025, operational grid-scale BESS capacity stands at around 0.5 GW, while consented capacity has surged to 18.2 GW, up sharply from 13.5 GW just six months earlier. Nearly 6 GWh is already under construction, giving Scotland 27 percent of the UK’s total BESS construction pipeline, making it the country’s leading storage market.

Largest upcoming BESS projects in Scotland, including the Fithie Battery Energy Storage System near Dundee, Coalburn 2 in South Lanarkshire, Harestonhill near Wishaw, Rawhills at Coalburn, and the Peterhead Battery Energy Storage System in Aberdeenshire, now define this next phase of growth.

This article looks at the top five battery energy storage projects shaping Scotland’s power system. It explores their scale, locations, and strategic importance, and explains why BESS is becoming essential infrastructure for a net-zero electricity grid.

List of Largest Upcoming Battery Energy Storage (BESS) Projects in Scotland 2026

Fithie Energy Park BESS

Fithie Energy Park is the largest upcoming battery energy storage system (BESS) project planned in Scotland. The project with a capacity of 1400 MW is located at Tealing, north of Dundee in Angus. It is designed to support the grid by storing surplus renewable electricity and releasing it when demand is highest.

The project will occupy around 97 acres of agricultural land and is expected to operate for up to 50 years. OnPath Energy plans to submit its planning application to the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit in 2025, with a decision anticipated in 2027. 

Construction is targeted for 2031-2032, followed by commissioning in 2033. At full operation, Fithie Energy Park could store enough renewable electricity to meet the peak demand of around 1.6 million homes for two consecutive hours, supporting Scotland’s energy security and its net-zero ambitions.

Peterhead Battery Energy Storage System

The Peterhead Battery Energy Storage System is set to become one of Scotland’s largest grid-scale storage projects, with a planned capacity of 500 MW and 1,000 MWh of energy storage. Developed by Peterhead Flexpower Ltd, the two-hour BESS will connect directly to the national transmission network.

Peterhead BESS has already cleared several key development milestones. Early planning, public consultation, and the planning application process have all been completed, with the project currently under consideration by the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit. 

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2030, with grid connection targeted for 2033. The site design prioritises safety, reliability, and environmental protection, including the allocation of over one hectare for biodiversity enhancement and bespoke landscaping to minimise impacts on nearby communities and wildlife. The project is designed to operate with zero emissions and will play a critical role in supporting the UK government’s Clean Power 2030 targets.

Coalburn 2 Battery Energy Storage System

Coalburn 2 is one of the largest battery energy storage projects under development in Scotland and Europe, with a planned capacity of 1 GW. Located east of Coalburn in South Lanarkshire, the project is being developed by Alcemi in partnership with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners.

The project secured Section 36 consent from the Scottish Government and reached a final investment decision in January 2025. Construction began in March 2025, and grid connection is scheduled for April 2027 via the proposed Coalburn North substation. 

Built on land associated with a former opencast coal mine, Coalburn 2 highlights the transition from fossil-fuel infrastructure to clean-energy assets. In addition to improving grid stability, the facility is expected to offset approximately 206,000 tonnes of CO₂-equivalent emissions each year and enable the charging of approximately 28,000 electric vehicles annually.

Once operational in August 2027, the facility will be capable of supplying the equivalent electricity needs of around 368,000 homes per year. It will support the integration of large-scale wind and solar generation into the grid.

Harestonhill Battery Energy Storage System

The Harestonhill Farm Battery Energy Storage System is a large-scale BESS project proposed near Wishaw in South Lanarkshire, positioned on land at Harestonhill Farm south of Overtown Road. The development will occupy around 14 hectares and connect to a new Scottish Power Transmission collector substation via underground cabling. 

Grid capacity is already available at this location, making it one of the few sites in Scotland where a high-capacity connection can be delivered with minimal additional infrastructure and lower embodied carbon.

The proposed facility will use a containerised design, with around 400 battery containers providing up to 1 GW of energy storage capacity. Each container will measure approximately 6.5 metres in length and around 2.5 metres in height, alongside access tracks, fencing, an electricity meter building, and supporting equipment. 

The system will store surplus renewable generation and return electricity to the grid when demand rises, helping balance supply and demand and enabling more wind and solar power to be integrated. Existing hedgerows and trees will be retained, with new native planting proposed to fully screen the site and reduce visual impact.

Rawhills Battery Energy Storage System

The Rawhills Battery Energy Storage System is a new large-scale grid storage project planned near Coalburn in South Lanarkshire, south of Glasgow. Developed by Alcemi in partnership with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, the project will deliver up to 1 GW of power capacity with 2 GWh of energy storage.

The project received planning permission in early 2024 and forms part of a wider UK battery portfolio aimed at supporting the rapid growth of wind generation, including offshore wind. Rawhills will help provide grid balancing services and ease network constraints.

Conclusion

The projects covered in this article, from gigawatt-scale systems like Coalburn 2 and Rawhills to major grid-linked hubs such as Fithie, Harestonhill, and Peterhead, each play a distinct role in balancing supply and demand, reducing curtailment, and strengthening grid resilience. Collectively, they show how storage is moving from a supporting technology to a central pillar of the power system.

Looking ahead, the outlook for BESS in Scotland is defined by scale and speed. Consented capacity has already reached 18.2 GW, while national grid data shows that battery capacity in the UK pipeline exceeds even long-term system requirements. 

Scotland is set to remain the leading region in the UK for battery deployment with rising application volumes, larger project sizes, and billions of pounds committed by developers and investors like Zenobē, Apatura and Matrix Renewables.

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