RWE has announced the construction of a 400 MW battery energy storage system in Lingen, Lower Saxony, at a former industrial site where acrylic fibres were produced until 2021. According to the company, the project will be the largest battery storage facility in the region and is scheduled to enter operation in 2028.

The battery storage system is being built on the former premises of Dralon GmbH, northeast of the Emsland gas-fired power plant. Once completed, the facility will be capable of delivering its maximum output for at least two hours, corresponding to a storage capacity of at least 800 MWh.

RWE has already taken the final investment decision for the project. The company says the battery system will play a key role in stabilising the electricity grid by providing balancing energy and responding to fluctuations in supply and demand within milliseconds.

“With the expansion of renewable energies, the demand for firm capacity is growing,” said Nikolaus Valerius, CEO of RWE Generation SE. “New gas-fired power plants and battery storage facilities complement each other perfectly in this regard: while gas-fired power plants step in when wind and solar power fail to supply energy for hours or days, battery facilities primarily bridge short-term gaps or periods of peak load.”

Valerius added that the new battery storage facility in Lingen will be able to absorb or feed electricity into the grid within a few milliseconds, depending on demand, making “an important contribution to grid stability and reliable electricity prices.”

According to RWE, the battery park will comprise more than 200 lithium-ion battery units. The installation will also include over 100 inverters, more than 50 medium-voltage transformers, two high-voltage transformers, and two switch panels. The facility will be connected to the electricity grid via the Hilgenberg substation, which transmission system operator Amprion is currently building less than 50 metres away.

In addition to balancing energy, the battery storage system will be equipped with technology to provide new grid services, including instantaneous reserve, also known as inertia.

Before construction of the battery park can begin, an 8.5-hectare site in the southern part of the industrial area must be prepared. RWE confirmed that all necessary permits have already been obtained, and construction work is scheduled to commence on 2 February.