Dutch utility Eneco plans to start production of a 50MW/200MWh battery storage project in Belgium next year and has called on the Dutch government to take more policy action on energy storage.
The Rotterdam-based company announced today (June 7) that the battery storage project has been licensed and is conducting preparatory studies to be operational by the end of 2024.
The four-hour project will take place in Ver-sur-Hyne, Wallonia, and will consist of 53 Tesla Megapacks. As more renewable energy comes online, it will help balance the Belgian grid, which is operated by transmission operator Elia.
"We are stepping up our renewable energy activities to reduce CO2 emissions. In this regard, energy storage is important to absorb fluctuations in renewable energy. This project is an important step towards our goal of achieving a CO2-neutral energy system by 2035, "said Tine Deheegher, Renewable energy Solutions Manager at Eneco.
The project appears to have won approval on its second attempt. Last year, numerous local news reports said Eneco had a 50-megawatt project in Ville-sur-Haine, but it was rejected by the local authorities of the Roeulx commune.
When it comes online, it will likely be the largest megawatt-hour capacity project in Belgium, with the two largest operating systems currently both at 100 megawatt-hours. However, energy company Engie recently applied for permits for three projects totaling 380 megawatts, one of which is rated at 200 megawatts, meaning it will almost certainly be larger.
The Belgian battery system can provide FCR and aFRR frequency response services, but the duration of deployment is longer, indicating a shift towards heavy cycle activities such as energy trading and capacity supply.
In a media statement announcing the project, Eneco went on to call for more support from the Dutch government to facilitate the deployment of energy storage to achieve decarbonisation.
"With this project, Eneco is taking a new step towards a fully sustainable energy system in Belgium and achieving the One Planet plan with the goal of being fully climate neutral by 2035," it wrote, before noting that the Netherlands needs 10GW of battery storage by 2030, but has only 300MW installed so far.
"We call on the Dutch government to follow the policies of Belgium and Germany so that the Netherlands can achieve a climate-neutral electricity supply by 2035."
Energy storage. news spoke with developer Lion storage at the EU Energy Storage Summit in London earlier this year, detailing the challenges facing battery storage developers in the Dutch market.
Eneco has been majority-owned by Japan's Mitsubishi Group since 2020. Mitsubishi Electric, a unit of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, is a major integrator of battery storage systems.
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