ECO POWER FOUR launches in Germany
ECO STOR is pleased to announce another significant battery energy storage system (BESS) project in Germany, with construction scheduled for the end of 2024.
This new project will be situated in the town of Wittlich in Rhineland-Palatinate, adjacent to the Wengerohr substation, and will be part of ECO STOR's series of large-scale BESS projects. "The project is called ‘ECO POWER FOUR’, and is part of ECO STOR’s ‘ECO POWER’ series of large-scale BESS projects for which it is handling all parts of the project lifecycle and value chain with the exception of route-to-market", says managing director Georg Gallmetzer.
ECO STOR will oversee all aspects of the project, including project development, BESS technology development, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), the energy management system (EMS), financing (with partners), asset management, and operation and maintenance (O&M). The total investment required for this project is estimated to be around €250 million (US$263 million).
Similar to ECO POWER THREE, which was announced in July, ECO POWER FOUR will consist of six ECO STOR ES-50C block configurations, each with an energy storage capacity of 50MW/100MWh. These blocks will also include a 110kV substation, 16 containers for inverters and transformers, and 32 containers of lithium-ion batteries.
ECO STOR is actively working on other projects, including ECO POWER ONE, a 200MWh system in Bollingstedt. The company plans to reveal additional projects gradually.
The mayor of Wittlich, Joachim Rodenkirch, expressed his support for the new battery storage project, emphasizing the importance of renewable energy in addressing climate change. He stated, "The battery storage plant is an essential component in our comprehensive climate protection concept to prepare Wittlich for the future."
ECO STOR has a track record of successful BESS projects in Germany, partnering with companies like Kyon Energy, Obton, and Austrian utility Verbund.
The German grid-scale energy storage market is experiencing rapid growth. This growth is driven by increasing opportunities in the wholesale energy market, with 2-hour systems gaining an advantage over 1-hour systems. Additionally, grants for co-located projects through the Innovation Tenders have further stimulated the market. The most recent round of contracts awarded additional premiums per kWh energy discharged to over 400MW of solar-plus-storage projects.