UK Power Reserve

UK Power Reserve (UKPR), now operating as Sembcorp Energy UK, was established in 2010 by co-founder Tim Emrich to address the increasing demand for flexible power capacity in the United Kingdom. The company's inception was a direct response to the grid instability caused by the rising integration of intermittent renewable energy sources like wind and solar. Emrich, a seasoned professional in the energy sector, guided the company from a concept to the UK's largest flexible distributed power generator. Under his leadership as CEO, the firm saw significant growth, culminating in a successful management buyout in 2015 with backing from private equity firms Inflexion and Equistone.

The core of the business is to provide stability to the UK's national grid. It operates a portfolio of small-scale, rapid-response gas-fired power stations and battery storage assets distributed across England and Wales. These assets are controlled and dispatched from a central operations facility in Solihull, delivering electricity to the grid within minutes of instruction to balance supply and demand. This service is crucial for preventing power disruptions and ensuring a reliable electricity supply for homes and businesses. The business model primarily serves the UK power market, with key clients including the National Grid. Revenue is generated through balancing services and participation in the Capacity Market, where the company secures long-term contracts to provide power when needed.

In May 2018, Singapore-based Sembcorp Industries acquired UK Power Reserve for £216 million. At the time of the acquisition, UKPR operated 32 sites with 533 megawatts of capacity, with an additional 480 megawatts under construction or in development. The acquisition was a strategic move for Sembcorp to strengthen its presence in the UK's growing distributed energy sector and support the transition to a lower-carbon economy. Following the sale, Tim Emrich stepped down as CEO, and the company was integrated into Sembcorp's UK operations, now known as Sembcorp Energy UK. The integrated entity continues to provide flexible energy services, complementing its portfolio with large-scale combined heat and power plants and a private wire network, primarily serving energy-intensive industrial clients.

Keywords: flexible power generation, distributed energy, grid stability, battery storage, ancillary services, capacity market, national grid, peak power, energy balancing, power generation, Sembcorp Energy UK, Tim Emrich, distributed power, rapid response power, energy infrastructure, UK electricity market, merchant energy, smart grid, power reserve, energy trading