A battery storage site in West Cumbria to help regulate the National Grid has been completed.

VLC Energy, a joint venture between renewable energy investment company Low Carbon, and VPI Immingham, has completed the 10mw park at Cleator.

The park and a 40mw installation in Kent are now connected to the National Grid.

Leon Walker, quantitative analysis manager at National Grid, said: "Using battery storage is a significant development for managing the National Grid.

"It's an ultra-fast way of keeping electricity supply and demand balanced.

"Over four years we estimate that this service will save the system operator around £200m.

"This is good news for consumers who benefit from our cost efficiencies, and paves the way for battery technology to establish itself as an important component of our energy system."

The two sites secured contracts as part of 2016’s 200MW National Grid Enhanced Frequency Response (EFR) auction, and will deliver a quarter of the auction’s capacity.

The two sites, which use LG Chem lithium-ion battery modules, and advanced energy management systems from NEC, will provide sub-second responses to surges in energy supply and demand, providing grid flexibility and electricity storage.

The Cleator and Kent sites have been awarded capacity market contracts.

Roy Bedlow, chief executive of Low Carbon, said: " These battery parks represent perhaps the greatest increase in UK energy storage capacity to date as part of National Grid’s EFR auction.

"Energy storage is critical to managing the demands on the grid, ensuring consumer needs are met, and increasing our reliance on low-carbon forms of electricity generation.

"These sites will help us tackle climate change and help the UK realise a cleaner and more energy efficient future."