Quinbrook to build two new syncons in UK as part of £430m system spend

Renewables and battery storage investment manager Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners has secured contracts  to build two new synchronous condensers in the UK as part of its planned £430 million spend on system services.

The contracts awarded by National Grid ESO are part of its Stability Pathfinder Programme, which offers inflation-indexed revenues for new infrastructure aimed at improving grid stability.

The two new syncons will provide vital grid support services and will allow more wind and solar to come into the system. Quinbrook expects investment in the new syncons to amount to £192 million.

“We view the UK’s electricity sector and its ‘Net Zero’ ambitions as a highly attractive infrastructure investment opportunity,” said Rory Quinlan, co-founder and managing partner of Quinbrook.

“We are investing in the next generation of critical infrastructure that directly addresses the real-world challenges posed by the energy transition as renewable energy continues to expand in the UK.

“Crucially, our ‘whole of system’ investment philosophy puts the emphasis on addressing fundamental system needs and enablers for a stable transition to a decarbonised power system.”

Quinbrook, which has a growing portfolio in Australia and the US, has already played an important role in the UK’s Stability Pathfinder Programme. Quinbrook was awarded projects in both Phases 1 and 2, including its first syncon located at Rassau in Wales.

Developed in partnership with Welsh Power – which will again partner with Quinbrook as development partner in the two new syncons – the Rassau syncon began operations in February 2022 and has provided a range of critical support services to National Grid.

Including the new awards, Quinibrook expects total investment in Stability Pathfinder projects to exceed £430 million over the next few years.

The two new syncons will be located near Ashford and north of Cardiff and, together, are known as the “Severn Portfolio”. They will be located next to existing substations, and will provide up to 8,326MW.s of inertia, representing 48.7% of the total procured by National Grid.