In a new massive energy storage project in the UK, battery packs of BMW i3 electric car have been used for connecting to the UK National Grid.

The project, which is one of the biggest energy storage projects till date in the UK, underscores a 22MW facility. It has been installed at Vattenfall’s Welsh onshore wind farm Pen y Cymoedd.

For the project, 500 BMW i3 battery packs have been used. The project comprises a total of six shipping container sized units, each having a capacity of 33 kWh. Five of the units accommodate the 500 battery packs manufactured by BMW for its i3 electric cars.

Revealing that the 22MW facility shares the electrical infrastructure of the wind farm for creating a hybrid renewable energy and storage asset, Claus Wattendrup -- Chief of Business Unit Solar & Batteries -- said that the latest projects marks “Vattenfall’s largest battery installation to date.”

Further adding that the latest project is the second large-scale energy storage project in Vattenfall to make use of BMW i3 battery packs, Wattendrup said that an increasing number of automakers are now leveraging their EV battery packs for energy storage systems.

Wattendrup also said: “Hybrid renewable parks will play a larger role in the future and we are leading this development.”