UK BESS market dynamics / background...24 Apr 2024 10:45
Interesting RNS from GRID today with quite a lot of detail on BESS revenues post the marketplace changes made in Q1. Key points:
"Revenues since 11 March 2024 have improved due to:
1) The launch of Balancing Reserve (BR), a new reserve product which has launched initially with a small volume of 400MW. Reserve requirements in Great Britain are for several gigawatts (GW) every day and this level will grow as renewable generation increases (as this drives up the volatility of supply). As the ESO launches a new suite of reserve products through 2024, including Quick Reserve (QR) in summer 2024, we expect to see the Reserve volume that BESS can compete for increase.
2) The ESO changing the '15-minute rule' for BESS, whereby the maximum duration of any BESS trade in the BM was limited to 15 minutes, to a '30-minute rule'. This change was required to deliver BR but is also leading to a greater use of BESS assets, although to date it has not led to a meaningful reduction in skip rates.
3) Improvements in wholesale markets, driven largely by a return of negative prices. This has led to increased trading spreads and the return of a second cycle opportunity in most days. Flat daytime prices over the winter mostly limited BESS assets to lower cycling. The rise of solar generation in warmer months means negative prices in the middle of the day, as well as overnight, creates two distinct trading cycles, in turn leading to improved revenue opportunities. Negative prices occur when renewable generation needs to be curtailed. Through mid-April 2024, GB has experienced more than three times the number of negative prices than at the same point in any of the prior four years. The trend of increasing negative prices is expected to continue as renewable penetration increases."
https://www.londonstockexchange.com/news-article/GRID/bess-portfolio-revenue-update/16437429