The full civil engineering package for a pioneering renewable energy development — combining utility-scale solar with what will be Europe’s largest vanadium flow battery installation. Site establishment to reinstatement, self-delivered.
Discuss a similar projectThe Copwood VFB Energy Hub is a pioneering renewable energy development in East Sussex, combining utility-scale solar generation with long-duration vanadium flow battery technology. Once operational, it will be one of the most significant energy-storage projects of its kind in the UK.
HWBC was appointed to deliver the full civil engineering package — from the first enabling works through to final reinstatement — with our own workforce, plant and machinery.
A single, coordinated civils package across the whole development.
Compound installation, vegetation clearance and grass cutting, and the enabling works that got the site running.
Construction of the site access roads and trackways to carry construction traffic across the development.
A comprehensive site-wide drainage network and two balancing ponds, with controlled discharge into the local watercourse to the approved drainage strategy.
Reinforced concrete foundations for the MPVS units and associated equipment across the solar and battery facility.
The ducting networks serving the battery energy storage units and the solar farm — 3.2km of ducting and pipework in all.
Earthing and grounding systems installed across the development.
CCTV infrastructure and the reinforced foundations for the security columns around the site.
Full reinstatement across the site on completion, restoring all areas to project requirements.
HWBC constructed two balancing ponds and a comprehensive drainage network across the site, designed to provide controlled discharge into the local watercourse in line with the approved drainage strategy.
With 181 chambers and manholes and 118 Supastack chambers across 3.2km of ducting and pipework, it’s a substantial stormwater scheme in its own right.
Balancing pond · East Sussex
Roads & compound
Drainage
Foundations
ReinstatementFrom site establishment and enabling works through to drainage, balancing ponds, foundations, ducting and reinstatement, HWBC delivered a coordinated civil engineering solution that supported the successful construction of the Copwood VFB Energy Hub.
The project shows our capability to deliver complex renewable schemes — combining solar, battery storage and environmental engineering — within a single integrated package.
This project drew on the full breadth of our civil engineering — drainage, foundations, roads, cable and reinstatement.
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