Energy storage developer Return has commenced construction of a 100MW battery energy storage system (BESS) in Waddinxveen, the Netherlands, as the country continues to expand its infrastructure to support renewable energy integration and grid reliability.
The €85 million Antares project will provide 200MWh of storage capacity and is expected to become operational by mid-2026. Once completed, the facility will be connected to the high-voltage grid operated by TenneT and is designed to help alleviate grid congestion while enabling the efficient use of renewable energy.
“Flexible storage systems are becoming increasingly indispensable for a stable, fossil-free and efficient energy supply,” said Honey Duan, manager of external battery storage systems at Vattenfall, one of the project’s key customers. “Large-scale battery systems serve the energy transition and play their part in realising our goal of enabling fossil freedom.”
ING is leading the project’s financing, with additional funding from Meewind and the National Green Fund. Engineering firms Alfen and SPIE Nederland are handling the technical development.
Vattenfall will incorporate 50MW/100MWh of the BESS into its portfolio, supporting its goal of placing up to 1.5GW of external battery capacity on the market across northwest Europe in the coming years.
“With Antares, we are demonstrating how smart, flexible storage solutions can harness the full potential of renewable energy while ensuring grid stability,” said Willem-Jan Schutte, CEO of Return.
“Battery storage projects, such as Antares, are essential to keep the Dutch power grid stable,” added Laurens de Vos, Head of Business Banking at ING Netherlands. “They give grid operators more room to further open up the grid to the electrification of sustainable initiatives and companies.”
Return currently holds a 7GW pipeline of energy storage projects across Europe and aims to deploy at least 3GW of capacity by 2030.
