Alpiq, a Swiss electricity producer and energy services provider, has acquired 90 per cent of renewable energy and battery storage developer Harmony Energy UK, a major milestone in their plan to grow in Europe's rapidly developing energy storage market. The acquisition will expand Alpiq's role in the battery energy storage systems (BESS) market, help drive the transition to renewable energy, improve grid stability and speed up the deployment of energy storage infrastructure in important European markets. It was not disclosed whether any financial terms were agreed to in the transaction.

The agreement combines Alpiq's flexible power generation, energy trading and optimization experience with Harmony Energy's proven experience in the development of utility scale battery storage projects. The deal will place Alpiq among the top battery energy storage (BESS) developers and operators in Europe and grow its portfolio throughout the BESS value chain, the companies said.

Harmony Energy brings in its experience in established development.

Harmony Energy was founded in 2010 by Peter Kavanagh, and has established a solid foothold in the utility-scale battery storage market. Based in the UK, the company is developing, building, owning and operating battery energy storage projects to enhance electricity grid reliability and enable the greater integration of renewable energy resources like wind and solar power.

Harmony Energy has grown from the UK into Germany, France and Poland with a varied portfolio of battery storage projects in various European electricity markets over the years. The company has been working on major energy storage projects, such as those enabling the integration of more renewables into the energy grid and increasing electricity supply and demand balance.

Acquisition expands Alpiq’s Battery Storage Portfolio.

The purchase substantially boosts Alpiq's current battery storages presence in Europe. The transaction brings into the Swiss firm's operating portfolio around 400 MW of battery energy storage facilities currently under construction.

These projects include a significant battery storage project in the United Kingdom that is slated to be linked to the electrical grid as early as Q3 2026. Harmony has a number of projects in progress and also a multi-gigawatt pipeline of future battery storage projects across several key European markets.

The enlarged development pipeline opens up opportunities for Alpiq to grow its role in electricity flexibility markets, and to help countries looking to enhance the reliability of their renewable power systems.

Developing the entire value chain capability

According to Alpiq, the purchase of assets not only brings new energy storage capacity to the company but, in addition, reinforces its commercial power by increasing its coverage in all steps of the battery storage business. This encompasses project development and engineering, construction, ownership and operation and asset management.

BESS is gaining traction in Europe's electricity grid and has become a crucial technology as more renewable energy is being generated on the continent. These systems can store surplus electricity produced during peak hours when renewable energy levels are high and draw electricity when demand is high or renewable energy generation is low to help balance the electricity supply and demand.

With its development knowledge and its flexible generation and energy management experience, Alpiq looks forward to enhancing its power market flexibility service offerings.

Seeds of leadership are planted by highlighting their importance.Importance of leadership is highlighted.

In a press release, Alpiq Chief Executive Officer Antje Kanngiesser said the deal marked a key milestone of Alpix's long-term strategy to increase its flexibility solutions in Europe.

By leveraging Alpiq's flexible power generation and energy management capabilities, and Harmony Energy's development capabilities and project pipeline, the company would be able to grow and take its role as a major flexibility provider in European energy markets to new heights, she added.

As utilities and energy companies focus on the challenges of more renewables on the grid and changing grid needs, the acquisition is part of a trend of increased investment in battery energy storage.

Harmony Energy will now operate separately from the consortium. The consortium will no longer run Harmony Energy.

Even though the ownership changed, Harmony Energy will operate and continue to be a brand name company. The company will maintain its business model, culture and team, with continuity for employees, customers and business partners.

Peter Kavanagh, Harmony Energy CEO and co-founder, explained that the cooperation will give Harmony access to Alpiq's financial expertise, market experience, and its wider European operations. Such capabilities will enable continued growth in Harmony Energy's project pipeline and would help to ensure stability to its workforce and stakeholders, he added.

The purchase dovetails into a wider trend across Europe's energy market: the increasing pace of investment in battery storage as European nations strive to achieve their decarbonisation targets, enhance penetration of renewables and bolster electricity resilience. The deal brings together the continent's expanding development pipeline and operational expertise to enable both companies to be part of the increasing demand for flexible energy infrastructure in the region.