UK Power Reserve

UK Power Reserve is a leading provider of flexible power generation.

UK Power Reserve was founded in 2010 to meet a growing need for flexible reserve power capacity in the UK driven by the increased use of renewable energy which, by its very nature, is intermittent. From its innovative Virtual Power Station and headquarters in Solihull, the business is able to despatch power to the National Grid within minutes of instruction thereby helping to avoid disruption to the UK’s power supply.

VALUE CREATION

Since investment, Equistone has supported UK Power Reserve’s management team in its plans to build out new sites, which has resulted in the business adding another 17 power stations to its portfolio, bringing the total number of operational sites to 32 across England and Wales with a combined capacity of over 500MW. All sites are closely monitored and maintained by its highly skilled workforce, which has more than doubled from 70 to 150.

Strong revenue growth has also been demonstrated, with UK Power Reserve having achieved a fourfold increase in turnover to £80m in 2018, at the same time as increasing the diversity of revenues across different balancing service markets.

The company has also secured a further 480MW of Capacity Market contracts for gas and battery storage, which will reinforce its market-leading position and provides a clear trajectory for future growth.

The entrepreneurial management team has received many accolades including Mid-Market Team of the Year in the Midlands at the 2017 BVCA Management Team Awards.

THE EXIT

Equistone sold its Fund V investment in UK Power Reserve to Singapore-headquartered Sembcorp. The realisation resulted in a Sterling money multiple of 2.4x and an IRR of 47%.