This summer will mark construction of Europe’s largest battery system, which will supply sustainable reserve capacity in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. The lithium-ion battery facility will be built by Eneco and Mitsubishi Corporation under the name EnspireME.The battery will store additional capacity for the primary electricity balancing market. Image credit: Eneco

The battery will be used initially for the primary reserve market, where the German transmission network operators purchase the reserve capacity they require to guarantee the 50 Hertz frequency on the grid. System components, including the power conversion system and controls, will be supplied and integrated by NEC Energy Solutions and it is expected that the battery system will be put into operation at the end of 2017.

The 48 MW system will supply more than 50 MWh, corresponding to the average daily energy consumption of over 5.300 German households.

The companies also plan to start a pilot project to connect nearby wind farms to the battery system. If there is surplus capacity or an overload on the grid, these wind farms will be able to temporarily supply their electricity output to the battery system. This will not only reduce the load on the grid, but also has a financial advantage as the owners of the wind farms will be able to offer the stored electricity to the market at a more favorable moment.