Eelpower Energy has acquired Stoneworthy Energy Storage Limited from RES, adding a 49.9 MW battery energy storage project near Pyworthy, Devon. Deal value was not disclosed. The project received planning permission in July 2025 after RES successfully appealed Torridge District Council’s earlier refusal. The scheme includes 32 battery enclosures, 16 power conversion systems, a 33 kV substation, a 132 kV transformer, and a grid connection to a National Grid Electricity Distribution overhead line.

The core shift is clear: UK BESS M&A is moving toward consented and grid-ready assets. Buyers are paying for execution visibility, not just pipeline volume.

Eelpower Energy is an infrastructure-backed storage platform supported by Equitix, Aware Super, and the UK National Wealth Fund. The platform was launched with £500 million of capital and aims to deliver more than 1 GW of new UK battery storage capacity.

Stoneworthy fits that strategy. It is not an early-stage option. It is a late-stage, planning-secured BESS asset with defined grid infrastructure and a clear route toward construction.

Enerdatics’ Q3 2025 data shows Europe recorded about 18 GW of BESS assets traded across 22 deals, with the UK remaining a leading market as buyers such as Zenobe and Eelpower targeted de-risked late-stage and shovel-ready projects.

The commercial reason is speed. Planning risk, grid uncertainty, and route-to-market complexity are now major valuation filters in UK storage.

This signals more acquisitions of consented BESS projects from developers that have secured permits but need capital partners to move into construction.

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