BayWa r.e. is moving into a new phase of its growth strategy in the UK. The global renewable energy company’s plans include building its offshore wind position and entering the storage technology space, including battery, hydrogen and alternative technologies. As part of its strategy, the business has appointed Stefan Tait as Head of Energy Storage and Power-2-X, UK, who will play an important role in driving BayWa r.e.’s ambitious UK growth targets.
In October 2020, the UK government set out its ten-point plan for a green industrial revolution to accelerate the UK’s path to net zero by 2050. To date, BayWa r.e. has developed and managed 232 projects in the UK with 685MW installed and 2400MW managed. The company has taken a long-term view to supporting the growth of renewables in the UK and Ireland, as demonstrated by the acquisition of Forsa Energy’s UK renewable energy business in May 2019.
BayWa r.e. has this year also entered the offshore space, after signing an exclusive agreement to join the existing consortium of Ideol and Elicio to prepare a joint bid for Crown Estate Scotland’s ScotWind tender. This is a significant move, with the UK government having recently raised its target for offshore wind power capacity by 2030 from 30GW to 40GW.
Gordon MacDougall, Managing Director, BayWa r.e. UK Limited commented: “Since my appointment in 2018, we have been heavily investing and building our position in the UK market. With strong foundations in place, I am delighted to welcome Stefan to the team to drive the next stage of our strategic development and futureproof our business by growing our position in new storage technologies. BayWa r.e. is committed to investing in the UK renewables market, to not only provide jobs and income, but most importantly to drive a renewable future for the UK.”
Stefan will be responsible for strategic development of the UK and Ireland Projects business, with a particular focus on energy storage, hydrogen and Power-to-X. He brings significant experience and knowledge of the renewables sector, having spent the last three years as BayWa r.e.’s Strategy Manager, based in Munich. During this time, Stefan played a key role in driving expansion of BayWa r.e.’s innovative EMEA project portfolio, including the recently announced launch of the hydrogen pilot project in the Netherlands that will research the potential of clean hydrogen to reduce grid congestion.
Stefan Tait commented: “I’m really excited to have joined the UK Projects team which has seen significant growth over the past few years. Traditionally, the UK has been focused on wind and solar, but now we’re seeing attention shift to managing energy surplus and finding longer duration storage solutions. This is where Power-to-X comes in and we are already testing its capabilities in Europe, recently partnering with the Netherland’s largest network company, Alliander, to research hydrogen potential in reducing grid congestion. Against the right market backdrop in the UK, with government backing and subsidies available, BayWa r.e. is now set to make a big play into these new storage technologies such as battery and hydrogen, alongside strengthening its position in solar and wind.”
