The UK will need about £15bn of investment to deploy 30 GW of long-duration energy storage (LDES) by 2030, according to the Transition Finance Council. That capacity is framed as essential to deliver a clean power system, bolster energy security and support the fast-growing energy demands of AI data centres as part of the industrial strategy.
Powering AI’s future with stable energy
AI data centres demand predictable, high-density power for training and inference loads that can run 24/7. Intermittent renewables alone cannot meet those profiles without storage able to supply energy for many hours to days. LDES technologies such as pumped hydro, flow batteries, compressed air and thermal storage allow operators to shift surplus renewable generation into periods of peak AI demand, reduce reliance on fossil backup and lower the risk of grid-driven outages that would disrupt AI services.
Strategic investment for a resilient grid
The Transition Finance Council report quantifies the investment gap: roughly £15bn to reach 30 GW by 2030. That scale of LDES increases system flexibility, reduces curtailment of wind and solar output, and can moderate wholesale price spikes. For consumers, wider deployment of long-duration options can translate to more stable bills over time by smoothing supply and avoiding emergency peaker plants. For investors, LDES opens new revenue streams in capacity, ancillary services and traded markets.
The path ahead: policy and progress
Meeting the 2030 target requires a combined policy push: clear revenue frameworks, faster consenting, targeted public finance and market signals that value multi-day storage. Aligning industrial policy with energy planning will help anchor AI data centre investment to clean power capability, rather than to fossil generation. The Transition Finance Council’s figures should act as a roadmap for ministers and industry to prioritise long-duration projects now, or risk constraining both net zero progress and the digital economy’s next wave.
For energy and AI leaders, the message is simple: LDES is an investment priority if the UK wants reliable, low-carbon power for tomorrow’s compute-intensive economy.
