Invinity has completed delivery of its 20.7 MWh Copwood VFB Energy Hub in East Sussex, set to become Europe’s largest VFB installation when it enters service later this year.
Tuesday 12 May 2026
Invinity Energy Systems has completed the delivery of 20.7 MWh of Vanadium Flow Batteries to the Copwood VFB Energy Hub (Copwood) in East Sussex, set to become Europe’s largest vanadium flow battery (VFB) installation when it enters service later this year. The project pairs 90 vanadium flow batteries – a form of long‑duration energy storage (LDES) – with a 3 MW solar array to enable more home-grown, low‑cost solar power to be used when Britain actually needs it – in the evenings, overnight and at peak demand. It will reduce reliance on comparatively more expensive fossil fuel generation, primarily in the form of imported natural gas.
Above: The Copwood VFB Energy Hub in Uckfield, East Sussex
The project, a UK-first at this scale, highlights the growing importance of British energy security amid rising energy prices and at a time when energy security remains high on the national agenda due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Turning cheap solar into reliable power – without the fire risk
Unlike conventional batteries designed for short bursts, vanadium flow batteries are built for long‑duration “energy shifting” – storing power for hours and releasing it later. The battery array at Copwood, which has a capacity roughly equivalent to the daily electricity needs of around 3,000 homes, will store surplus daytime solar and discharge it back to the grid in the evening and overnight as required.
Invinity’s battery technology also addresses an issue increasingly relevant to communities and planners: safety. Invinity’s vanadium flow batteries have no fire risk, use a water‑based electrolyte, and are engineered for long operating life (designed for decades of heavy‑duty cycling). The technology’s safety profile has proven important in local planning discussions, where battery fire risk and community impact can be contentious.
Above: Invinity team members loading the last battery at the Company’s Motherwell facility.
“This project is about far more than a single battery system – it is proof that Britain can build the infrastructure needed to transform the country into a clean energy superpower.
“If we are serious about delivering a power system dominated by renewables, we must stop wasting the energy we work so hard to generate. Long-duration storage is the missing piece that turns intermittent wind and solar into reliable, on-demand power.
“By building Europe’s largest vanadium flow battery here in Britain, and manufacturing it in Scotland, we’re showing that the clean energy transition can strengthen our energy security, cut system costs and create skilled industrial jobs at home.”
– Jonathan Marren, Chief Executive Officer, Invinity Energy Systems
A flagship reference site as Ofgem’s cap‑and‑floor decisions near
The project demonstrates how LDES can help tackle price volatility by reducing dependence on costly peaking plants and comes at an important time for the industry as Britain prepares for the next stage of investment in long-duration energy storage.
Ofgem is expected to announce key decisions shortly under its LDES Cap and Floor support scheme, designed to unlock investment in large-scale “super battery” projects across the UK. Invinity’s battery technology has been selected for multiple project bids under the scheme, and a successful rollout could support substantial industrial growth, including the creation of up to 1,000 jobs as the Company scales manufacturing in Britain.
London Stock Exchange-listed Invinity has facilities across the Scottish Central Belt in Motherwell and Bathgate where the firm undertakes assembly of its vanadium flow batteries for UK and European customers, alongside product development, customer support and research and development activities.
Invinity utilised investment from the UK’s National Wealth Fund, a major shareholder in the Company, in delivering the project.
“Invinity’s progress at the Copwood VFB Energy Hub demonstrates how targeted public investment can accelerate the manufacturing of new technology, support the transition to clean power, boost energy security and create skilled jobs in the UK.”
– Stuart Nivison, Head of Portfolio Management, National Wealth Fund
The Copwood VFB Energy Hub also received grant funding from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) as part of the government-backed Longer Duration Energy Storage (LoDES) demonstration programme, supporting the development of next-generation UK energy infrastructure.