RWE has commenced the construction of a large-scale battery storage project at two sites within North Rhine-Westphalia.
RWE is building one of Germany’s largest Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), with a storage capacity of 235 megawatt hours. The company plans to invest around 140 million euros in this project, which will be located at the power stations in Neurath and Hamm. The battery storage facility is expected to provide balancing energy starting from the second half of 2024 and will be utilized in the wholesale market as well.
Starting from the second half of 2024, the BESS is set to provide balancing energy to stabilize the electricity grid. This involves the facility absorbing excess power from the grid and reintroducing it when necessary to maintain the required grid frequency. Additionally, the battery storage facility will be utilized in the wholesale market, allowing electricity to be stored during periods of low prices and released when prices are high.
With a maximum capacity of 220 MW, the planned battery storage facility can sustain operation for over an hour, equivalent to charging around 4,000 electric vehicles. It will also be seamlessly integrated with RWE power stations in Germany, enabling flexible control over whether the storage units operate independently or in conjunction with other power stations to supply balancing energy. This approach optimizes RWE’s diverse power station portfolio and leverages the company’s extensive experience with energy storage systems.
RWE is responsible for the comprehensive planning, modeling, system integration, and commissioning of the project, drawing upon its years of expertise in energy storage systems.
