London-listed Invinity Energy Systems has delivered 20.7 megawatt-hours of vanadium flow batteries to the Copwood VFB Energy Hub in East Sussex. Once the project enters service later in 2026, Invinity says it will be Europe’s largest vanadium flow battery installation.
The project combines 90 vanadium flow batteries with a 3 MW solar array. The batteries will store extra solar energy generated during the day and send it back to the grid in the evening, overnight, and during periods of high demand.
Invinity says the battery system can store roughly enough electricity to cover the daily needs of around 3,000 homes.
What makes vanadium flow batteries different
Vanadium flow batteries are best suited for long-duration storage. They use vanadium ions in a liquid electrolyte to store energy for hours at a time and discharge it later when electricity demand rises. Because they have a low energy density, they require large containers and a large footprint.
They’re useful for “energy shifting” – moving cheap renewable electricity generated during the day into the evening hours when demand and electricity prices are typically higher.
Invinity is also leaning hard into the safety angle. The company points out that vanadium flow batteries use a water-based electrolyte and pose no fire risk. This issue has become increasingly important for local communities and planners as large battery projects expand.
The batteries are also designed for decades of heavy-duty cycling, which could make them attractive for grid-scale storage projects expected to operate for a long time.
UK energy storage investment is ramping up
The Copwood project lands at a key moment for the UK’s long-duration energy storage industry.
UK energy regulator Ofgem is expected to announce decisions soon under its long-duration energy storage “Cap and Floor” support scheme, which is designed to help kick-start investment in large-scale storage projects.
Invinity says its vanadium flow battery technology has already been selected for multiple bids under the scheme. The company says a broader rollout of the technology could support up to 1,000 jobs as it scales battery manufacturing in Britain.
Invinity assembles its vanadium flow batteries in Motherwell and Bathgate, Scotland, where it also conducts research and development, product development, and customer support.
The Copwood VFB Energy Hub received funding from the British government’s Longer Duration Energy Storage demonstration program, delivered by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Invinity also used investment from the UK’s National Wealth Fund, which is a shareholder in the company.
Jonathan Marren, CEO of Invinity Energy Systems, said the project shows how long-duration storage can help turn renewable energy into reliable power.
“If we are serious about delivering a power system dominated by renewables, we must stop wasting the energy we work so hard to generate,” said Marren. “Long-duration storage is the missing piece that turns intermittent wind and solar into reliable, on-demand power.”
Read more: ESS adds 8.5 GWh of sodium-ion to its battery storage portfolio
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