RADIX Screw Pile Foundations for 30MW BESS Site, Burwell, Cambridgeshire

Overview

Delivering high-load BESS foundations within a tightly constrained site layout

Located in Burwell, Cambridgeshire, this 30 MW Battery Energy Storage System was delivered for Novus Power as part of a concentrated BESS development zone. The site layout was dense, with battery units, inverters, skids, ducting, and trenching all competing for space, leaving very little margin for error.

RADIX was appointed to design and install a foundation solution capable of supporting a wide range of equipment loads, including battery units weighing up to 35 tonnes, while working around pre-installed trenching and existing services. With much of the below-ground infrastructure already in place, foundation positions, clearances, and tolerances were critical, requiring careful coordination to ensure all equipment could be installed without conflict or rework

Solution

Precision installation around trenching, utilities, and high equipment loads

RADIX installed 220 extendable 89 mm screw piles, embedment depths between 3 and 4 metres. The foundation system was designed to support a varied range of equipment loads, including 35-tonne battery units from Trina, Power Electronics GEN3 twin skids weighing approximately 22.7 tonnes, 13-tonne solo skids, and 5.5-tonne inverter units.

This project marked the first large-scale deployment of RADIX Precision Caps. Developed in-house, the system provided faster final alignment, and greater flexibility during installation. Taking the solution from concept and manufacture through to full site implementation represented a significant milestone for the RADIX engineering and delivery teams.

The site’s ducting and trenching had been installed in advance and ran directly beneath batteries, skids, and inverters. RADIX screw piles proved particularly well suited to this environment, allowing heavy loads to be supported above ground while maintaining the required clearances around existing services. Achieving this level of coordination would have been considerably more challenging using bulkier foundation solutions such as pre-cast elements or driven systems.

In several locations, trenching left very limited space for foundations, requiring piles to be installed in close proximity. The small footprint and precise placement of the screw pile system enabled successful installation without compromising structural performance or future access to services

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Sustainability

Efficient foundations designed for dense, service-heavy sites

This project highlights the advantages of screw piling beyond speed alone. Compared to alternative foundation methods such as pre-cast concrete blocks or driven piling, the RADIX solution offered:

• A significantly smaller footprint, allowing foundations to coexist with trenching and services
• Reduced earthworks, avoiding large excavations and reinstatement
• Lower material use, with steel components designed precisely to load requirements
• Faster installation, reducing programme duration and site activity
• Adaptability over the asset’s lifetime, supporting future modifications or upgrades

By enabling heavy equipment to be mounted cleanly above ground while preserving access to ducting and utilities below, the foundation strategy supported both construction efficiency and long-term maintainability. Combined with a 50-year design life, the solution provides a durable, low-impact foundation for critical energy infrastructure.