Energy, Oil & Gas Magazine Issue 222 September 2024 | Page 105

___________________________________________________________________________________________ Constantine Group

Having started out as a shipping company in 1885 , Constantine Group ( Constantine ) has diversified extensively to its current position as a leading private investment company with experience in a range of sectors , such as energy , logistics , healthcare , manufacturing , and property . Constantine boasts three investments within the energy sector : Constantine Wind Energy ( CWE ), Constantine Energy Storage ( CES ), and Pelagic Energy Developments ( Pelagic Energy ).

Established in 2012 , CWE develops , installs , and owns a portfolio of mid-sized wind turbines at onshore sites across the UK . These sites are not wind farms , but rather local sources of renewable energy generation , and with a portfolio of 200 turbines , CWE ’ s capacity ranges from 80 kilowatts to 2.3 megawatts .
Pelagic Energy was founded in 2018 as a renewable energy development company specializing in utility-scale battery storage , flexible generation , and solar farms . As the UK ’ s net-zero strategy involves a transition to more flexible and dynamic low carbon electricity supply , Pelagic Energy is developing assets that fill supply gaps and thus ensure a reliable supply of clean energy in the UK .
Constantine ’ s latest investment , CES , was established in 2022 as a platform to construct , own , and operate institutional grade battery energy storage systems ( BESS ). CES was founded in response to the ongoing decarbonization of the UK ’ s energy matrix , as BESS is needed to balance the system and provide reliable supply across the grid . Through the combination of scale , location , and deliverability , CES ’ portfolio is at the forefront of enabling the UK ’ s energy transition .
Constantine manages the day-to-day operations of CES and raised the first round of funding from Alberta Investment Management Corporation and investment manager , Railpen , in 2022 , which enabled the organization to build out the first 450 megawatts . However , CES has ambitions that extend beyond 450 megawatts . The company aims to build a pipeline of one gigawatt of BESS projects across the UK , which are currently under development by Pelagic Energy .
Efficiency and consistency
We sit down with Mike Ryan , Commercial Director of CES , to learn more about the company ’ s current projects and its mission to accelerate energy transition in the UK . “ In a joint venture with Pelagic Energy , we ’ re currently in the construction phase of five sites , all of which are due to go live by the end of 2024 ,” Mike begins . “ In terms of size , these five sites boast 557 megawatts , which means that upon completion of the sites , we will become one of the largest platforms in the UK . energy-oil-gas . com 105