The Rigifa battery energy storage system (BESS) project in Scotland has officially received planning approval, marking a significant milestone for long-duration energy storage in the United Kingdom. This 200 MW, 3,600 MWh facility is set to become the second-largest project supported by the UK’s new long-duration energy storage (LDES) cap and floor scheme. By providing revenue certainty through guaranteed floors and price caps, the regulatory framework aims to incentivize the development of large-scale storage assets, addressing a identified market failure and supporting the integration of renewable energy in regions prone to high levels of grid curtailment.
Developed by Field, the Rigifa BESS is one of five company projects selected by the energy regulator Ofgem for the LDES support program. The initiative is designed to mirror the successful cap-and-floor structure previously utilized for UK interconnector projects. Under this arrangement, developers receive financial support if market revenues drop below a set floor, while they are required to return excess earnings should revenues exceed a predetermined cap. This mechanism is intended to provide the stability necessary to attract investment into long-duration storage, a sector that has historically lacked the state-backed revenue guarantees available to other renewable energy generators.
The project will be situated near the Gills Bay substation in northern Scotland, a region where wind power generation frequently faces curtailment due to grid constraints. In total, Ofgem has selected 16 projects for the LDES scheme, seven of which are located in northern Scotland, including three pumped storage hydro facilities and four Field-led BESS developments. Among these is the Field New Deer project, which stands as the largest BESS in the current cap-and-floor pipeline with a capacity of 400 MW and 7,200 MWh.
While the UK has seen a robust pipeline of shorter-duration battery projects, the national grid operator, NESO, has emphasized a growing requirement for longer-duration assets to ensure future energy security. By facilitating the deployment of projects like Rigifa, which offers 18 hours of storage, regulators hope to bridge the gap between current market capabilities and the long-term needs of the national energy system. The selection process for these projects followed an extensive review, with Ofgem narrowing down a shortlist of 77 candidates to the final 16 projects announced in mid-2026.