RWE has launched one of the largest battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Germany, with a total capacity of 220 MW. According to the company, the BESS has been commissioned at the group’s facilities in Hamm and Neurath, can reach its full capacity within seconds, and has a storage capacity of 235 megawatt-hours (MWh).

RWE makes the electricity generated by the energy storage systems available to different energy markets. The system helps stabilize the electrical grid, particularly through the balancing energy markets.

The storage system consists of 690 battery cabinets, each containing eight battery modules, with a capacity of 140 MW (151 MWh) in Hamm (commissioned in December) and 80 MW (84 MWh) in Grevenbroich-Neurath. In addition to the batteries, RWE also built the associated grid infrastructure, including high-voltage transformers as a connection point to the 110 kV grid.

Nikolaus Valerius, CEO of RWE Generation SE, stated: "With the storage plants in Neurath and Hamm, we are commissioning one of the largest battery systems in Germany. Our batteries are the perfect complement to the expansion of renewable energies, which requires an increasing number of large-scale energy storage systems. More battery storage systems are already being planned. RWE provides the right solutions for all kinds of challenges."

For his part, Marc Herter, Mayor of Hamm, emphasized: "The commissioning of the large battery storage system at the Westfalen power plant demonstrates that Hamm remains a key energy hub in the region. We are becoming an important place for a secure supply of green energy. Our existing high-performance grid infrastructure and the new Amprion power highway, including the large 'green power socket' at the Uentrop plant, are proof of the excellent future prospects of the region in the post-coal era. With the largest battery storage system in Germany, RWE is already taking an important first step in the right direction."