German utility RWE is constructing a 400-megawatt battery energy storage system on a former industrial site in Lingen, Lower Saxony, as it expands its flexible generation assets to support a power system increasingly dominated by renewables, the company said.
The facility will deliver at least 800 megawatt-hours of storage capacity and is scheduled to begin operations in 2028. RWE said the installation will help stabilise the electricity grid by supplying balancing energy and new services such as instantaneous reserve.
The project is being developed on the former Dralon GmbH premises northeast of the Emsland gas-fired power plant and will connect to the grid via the nearby Hilgenberg substation, which transmission system operator Amprion is currently building.
“With the expansion of renewable energies, the demand for firm capacity is growing,” said Nikolaus Valerius, chief executive of RWE Generation SE.
“Our new battery storage facility in Lingen will absorb or feed in power within a few milliseconds, depending on demand,” he added.
More than 200 lithium-ion battery units will be installed alongside over 100 inverters, more than 50 medium-voltage transformers, two high-voltage transformers and two switch panels, RWE said.
Preparatory works are set to begin on Feb. 2 after the company received all required permits for the 8.5-hectare site.
