FRANKFURT, Sept 19 (Askume) – Germany’s grid battery capacity used to stabilise the power grid has risen by almost a third so far this year, official data showed on Thursday, reflecting efforts to help the grid accommodate more renewable energy.
The Berlin government hopes to generate 80% of its electricity from wind and solar power by 2030. The contribution of renewable energy will reach 60% in the first half of 2024.
Long-term goals require increased storage to balance supply and demand in the system and reduce intraday fluctuations in electricity prices in wholesale markets. The government has no specific targets for what storage facilities should be built.
Battery companies can make money by selling power when prices are high and replenishing reserves when prices are low or negative .
“We are seeing strong market-driven growth in battery storage,” a spokesman for the German economy ministry said in response to Askume questions.
Speakers cited measures being taken to reduce costs and processes and expedite approvals for new infrastructure.
The market register published by the government, which the spokesperson referred to, showed 1.8 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of capacity completed on September 18, while 1.4 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of capacity was completed on January 1.
A week earlier, British power company VPI, backed by energy trader Vitol, said it would invest up to 450 million euros ($502.07 million) in battery projects over the next three to five years , mainly in Germany’s stormy northeast region.
The market register compiled by RWTH Aachen University also lists 3.7 GW of known projects between now and September 2027.
Utility RWE (RWEG.DE) is one of the local players in the construction and operation of storage assets.
By the end of 2024, RWE will have 235 MW of generating capacity at its Hamm and Neurath power plants in North Rhine-Westphalia, in addition to several projects at home and abroad, the spokesperson said.
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