Written question asked by Graham Leadbitter (Scottish National Party) on Friday, 28 August 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 2 September 2026. It was answered by Michael Shanks (Labour) on Tuesday, 8 September 2026 on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Batteries: China

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what proportion of firms operating battery cell capacity across British battery energy storage systems are Chinese- (a) owned and (b) financed.

Answer: The Department works very closely with industry and across government to manage foreign involvement in energy infrastructure. The largest grid-scale battery owners in GB are all UK-based companies - and battery operators include UK, European, Singaporean and US companies - though there has not been a detailed assessment of the ownership and finances of this sector. We continue to take a long-term, strategic and proportionate approach to managing relations with China and will co-operate where we can, and challenge where we must.

Secondary information