Record UK BESS Approvals Spotlight the Need for Sustainable Recycling
Record Growth in UK BESS Approvals
July 2025 marked the busiest month so far this year for the UK’s energy storage sector.
According to Solar Media Market Research, local councils and planning authorities approved more than 5GW of new battery energy storage system (BESS) projects, equating to 10GWh of capacity. This milestone underscores the scale of investment and the crucial role storage will play in stabilising a renewable-powered grid.
The UK’s pipeline of approved BESS projects is now approaching a staggering 69GW / 144GWh, nearly ten times the operational capacity today of 7GW / 10GWh.
This surge of future capacity represents a transformative moment for the energy storage sector. As these assets come online at unprecedented scale, the question arises: how will the industry ensure they are deployed efficiently, safely, and sustainably?
Beyond Deployment: The Recycling Imperative
Battery energy storage is central to the UK’s net zero strategy, but long-term sustainability requires more than installation. Every new BESS unit has a finite lifespan. With tens of gigawatts now in the pipeline, the question of what happens when these units reach end of life cannot be ignored.
Unlike smaller consumer batteries, grid-scale storage units are vast, high-voltage systems that demand specialist handling. Safe transport, discharge, dismantling, and material recovery are essential not only for protecting the environment but also for securing the raw materials critical to the UK’s clean energy transition.
Industrial-Scale Recycling in Action
At Recyclus Group, we anticipated this challenge early. Our industrial-scale lithium-ion battery recycling facility has been operational since July 2023, giving us a unique first-mover advantage. The Wolverhampton site, known as LiBatt, has been successfully processing a wide range of lithium-ion batteries for over a year.
We already have contracts in place with leading companies across multiple sectors, and have successfully processed BESS cells at scale, proving our recycling technology is ready to meet the sector’s growing demand
These partnerships ensure that as more BESS projects come online, their end-of-life units have a clear and secure pathway to be recycled, not landfilled.
Closing the Loop on Energy Storage
The July approvals highlight the rapid acceleration of the UK’s storage ambitions, signalling a surge in demand for battery capacity in the coming years.
As policymakers and developers focus on grid connections and project financing, equal attention will be needed for the back end of the cycle: ensuring batteries are handled safely and recycled sustainably.
With nearly 69GW of approved capacity now in the pipeline, the need for a robust recycling infrastructure is immediate. Without it, the UK risks creating tomorrow’s waste problem while solving today’s energy challenges.
Recyclus stands ready with a proven, operational solution. By integrating recycling into the lifecycle of energy storage, we ensure that BESS projects deliver not only grid stability and decarbonisation, but also a truly circular and resilient energy system.