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BW ESS has acquired two battery storage projects in France, each rated at 100 MW/400 MWh, marking its entry into the market. The move follows its announcement of debt financing for the 1,424 MWh Hams Hall project in the UK, which is expected to become Europe’s largest operational battery site by energy capacity when completed.
BW ESS has acquired two standalone battery storage projects in France from Recurrent Energy, giving the energy storage company an initial 200 MW/800 MWh development platform in a market it is entering for the first time. The deal follows the company’s announcement of debt financing for its 1,424 MWh Hams Hall project in the UK, which BW ESS says is on course to become Europe’s largest operational battery site by energy capacity when it enters commercial operation.
The French projects are each rated at 100 MW/400 MWh and are located in Calvados and the Eastern Pyrenees. BW ESS described both as being in advanced development. It said it will work with Recurrent Energy as the projects progress toward construction and operation; the companies did not disclose a construction timetable in the report.
BW ESS chief executive and co-founder Erik Strømsø called the acquisition a “natural next step.” He said the projects provide an immediate foothold and a base for building a larger portfolio in France. Recurrent Energy chief executive Dylan Marx said the transaction reflects the developer’s work building its French battery storage platform. Financial terms of the acquisition were not provided.
The UK financing concerns Hams Hall, a 400 MW/1,424 MWh battery storage project near National Grid’s Hams Hall substation. OCBC, Rabobank and Société Générale are providing debt in equal proportions, with Rabobank acting as facility agent. The financing is expected to close at the project’s commercial operations date. Hams Hall is planned in two phases: its first phase is expected to provide 350 MW/1,243 MWh, increasing to the full capacity when the second phase is complete.
A French Platform and UK Scale
The French acquisition gives BW ESS a route into a new national market through projects that are already described as being in advanced development, rather than a plan to enter with projects at an early stage. If they reach operation, the pair would add substantial battery capacity that can respond quickly to changes in electricity supply and demand. The projects’ eventual contribution will depend on construction, grid connection and operation, details not included in the report.
Strømsø argued that batteries can complement France’s nuclear power fleet by providing flexibility, including absorbing surplus electricity and shifting when low-carbon power is available to the system. That is the company’s explanation of the market opportunity, not a measured finding about the projects’ future effects. The French projects’ schedules, revenue arrangements and expected use were not disclosed.
The Hams Hall financing is a separate but related sign of BW ESS’s expansion in Europe. Its planned 1,424 MWh capacity would put it among the continent’s largest battery sites by energy storage, if completed as planned. The comparison is based on the project’s stated final capacity and the report’s description; it is not a claim that the site is already operating or that its full capacity is available today.
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Two European Deals in October
BW ESS is an energy storage owner-operator. The French acquisition marks its first entry into France and its seventh market globally, according to the report. Recurrent Energy, which developed the two French projects, is expected to continue working with BW ESS as they move toward construction and operation. The report does not identify a completion date for the sale or provide details on the projects’ permitting or grid status.
On October 21, 2026, BW ESS announced debt financing for Hams Hall in the UK. The site’s first phase is expected to enter operation before the end of 2026. Its first-phase revenues are supported by a 10-year floor and optimization agreement with EDF, signed earlier in 2026, according to the report. The full 400 MW/1,424 MWh capacity is planned to follow after a second phase is completed.
The French acquisition and UK financing are distinct developments: one establishes BW ESS’s presence in a new market, while the other arranges debt for a large project already under development. Together, they show the company pursuing projects at different stages, but the source provides no financial terms for the French purchase or the Hams Hall debt facility.
“These acquisitions give us an immediate 200 MW / 800 MWh platform in the country and provide a strong foundation for building a sizeable French portfolio.”
— Erik Strømsø, BW ESS chief executive and co-founder
Project Timelines and Deal Terms
The report does not state the purchase price, the transaction’s closing date or the projects’ anticipated construction and commercial operation dates. It describes the French assets as being in advanced development but does not specify their permitting, grid-connection or contracting status. BW ESS’s stated intention to build a larger French portfolio also comes without a defined investment target or schedule.
For Hams Hall, the lenders and broad financing structure are identified, but the debt amount and detailed terms are not. The project’s first phase is expected to enter operation before the end of 2026, while the date for completing the second phase was not given. Its description as Europe’s largest operational site by MWh is a forward-looking expectation, conditional on the project reaching operation at its planned capacity.
Construction and Hams Hall Commissioning
BW ESS and Recurrent Energy are expected to work together as the two French projects move toward construction and operation. The next reported milestones to watch are further details on project schedules, permitting and grid connection, as well as any announcements about construction or commercial arrangements. BW ESS has said it plans to own more storage in France, but has not announced additional projects or a timetable.
In the UK, the first Hams Hall phase is expected to begin operating before the end of 2026, with debt financing expected to close at commercial operations. A second phase is planned to lift the site from 350 MW/1,243 MWh to its stated final capacity of 400 MW/1,424 MWh. The available report does not specify when that later phase will be completed.
Key Questions
What has BW ESS acquired in France?
BW ESS acquired two standalone battery storage projects from Recurrent Energy. Each is rated at 100 MW/400 MWh; one is in Calvados and the other in the Eastern Pyrenees.
Are the French battery projects operating?
No. BW ESS described them as being in advanced development and said it would work with Recurrent Energy as they progress toward construction and operation. A timetable was not reported.
What is the Hams Hall project, and how is it being financed?
Hams Hall is a planned battery storage project in the UK with final capacity of 400 MW/1,424 MWh. OCBC, Rabobank and Société Générale are providing debt in equal proportions; the amount and detailed terms were not disclosed.
When is Hams Hall expected to start operating?
The project’s first phase is expected to enter operation before the end of 2026, according to the report. The timing for the second phase, which would bring the site to its planned full capacity, was not stated.
Source: ess-news.com
