Construction begins on large-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) at Philippsburg Energy Park
Karlsruhe/Philippsburg. EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG (EnBW) is building one of Germany’s largest battery energy storage system (BESS) facilities at Philippsburg Energy Park. With a power capacity of 400 megawatts and an energy capacity of 800 megawatt-hours, the BESS can meet the daily electricity needs of around 100,000 households. Its purpose is to store electricity generated from wind and solar energy and make it available when needed.
Philippsburg is also the site of two nuclear power units that are in the process of being dismantled. Transmission system operator TransnetBW has built a large direct-current converter in an adjacent section of the energy park. As part of the new ULTRANET DC link, the converter will bring wind power from northern Germany to the southwest of the country.
“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,” said Peter Heydecker, Chief Operating Officer for Sustainable Generation Infrastructure at EnBW. While gas-fired power plants can also bridge prolonged Dunkelflauten (cold dark lulls), battery energy storage systems can step in for much shorter periods.
Philippsburg Mayor Stefan Martus said, “Philippsburg has been one of Germany’s most important energy hubs for half a century, a position that is now being further strengthened by the new BESS.
The BESS is being constructed without subsidies and financed out of revenues from sales of electricity and grid services. These ensure the grid operates reliably and that electricity supplies are guaranteed at all times.
To begin with, EnBW is building a pilot plant to test two different battery energy storage systems. These will be supplemented by further such systems next year, with the new systems due to come into operation by the end of 2027.
EnBW currently operates 20 battery energy storage systems, with over 100 MWh of installed capacity in Germany. In addition, battery storage facilities with a total capacity of 1,800 MWh are under development. All new solar farms come standard with co-located battery energy storage systems.
About EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG
With a workforce of some 31,500 employees, EnBW is one of the largest energy supply companies in Germany and Europe. Providing energy to some 5.5 million customers, EnBW serves all stages of the value chain, from generation and trading to grid operation and the sale of electricity, heat energy and gas. In the company’s transformation from a traditional energy provider to a sustainable infrastructure group, the expansion of the distribution and transportation grids for electricity, natural gas and hydrogen and the expansion of renewable energy sources are cornerstones of EnBW’s growth strategy and the focus of its investment spending. EnBW plans to invest up to €50 billion by 2030, around 85 percent of which will be in Germany. By then, renewables are planned to account for around 80% of the EnBW generation portfolio. These are key milestones on the way to the net zero target for the company’s own greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.
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