EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg (EnBW) has commenced construction of a battery energy storage system (BESS) with a planned power capacity of 400MW and an energy capacity of 800MW-hours (MWh) at Philippsburg Energy Park in Germany.
The facility is said to be one of the country’s largest battery storage projects.
It is designed to store electricity from wind and solar sources, supplying energy for approximately 100,000 households daily.
The BESS is being developed at a site that previously housed two nuclear power units, which are currently undergoing dismantlement.
In addition to the storage project, transmission system operator TransnetBW has installed a direct-current converter nearby as part of the ULTRANET DC link, intended to transmit wind-generated electricity from northern to south-western Germany.
EnBW’s battery storage initiative is being financed without subsidies.
Funding will come from revenue generated by electricity sales and grid services, which help ensure reliable grid operations and a steady electricity supply.
Initial construction will involve a pilot plant to evaluate two distinct BESS.
Additional systems are expected to be introduced next year, with plans for the overall facility to become operational by the end of 2027.
EnBW sustainable generation infrastructure chief operations officer Peter Heydecker said: “Renewable energy needs flexible support systems. Battery storage facilities, together with hydrogen-ready gas-fired power plants, ensure a reliable and affordable electricity supply.
“Both of these technologies deliver an important contribution to security of supply by balancing out fluctuations in wind and solar energy.”
EnBW currently operates 20 BESS with a combined installed capacity exceeding 100MWh across Germany.
The company is also developing additional storage facilities totalling 1,800MWh of capacity.
All upcoming solar farms installed by EnBW are set to include co-located BESS.
In February this year, EnBW signed a 15-year power purchase agreement with Google to supply 100MW of clean electricity from the He Dreiht offshore wind farm in the German North Sea.
