Fluence Energy and TransnetBW have announced a future deployment of the Grid Booster project, touted as the world’s largest battery-based energy storage as transmission project.
The 250 MW Netzbooster (Grid Booster) project is being implemented with the hope of increasing grid utilization in the German transmission system by using battery-based energy storage.
The project will be deployed by Fluence Energy GmbH, a subsidiary of global provider of energy storage products and services and cloud-based renewable energy and storage software, Fluence Energy, Inc., and German TSO TransnetBW GmbH for the Baden- Württemberg.
According to Fluence Energy, the project will improve energy security and significantly support Germany’s energy transition path by increasing the efficiency of the existing grid infrastructure.
Grid Booster Project
The Netzbooster project will reduce the number of preventive measures required in system operation while increasing the utilization of the electricity grid, thereby reducing the need for traditional grid strengthening and expansion.
The system will also alleviate the difficulties arising from the transport of wind energy from the northern part of Germany to the load centers of the southern part of the country. In the event of a transmission grid failure, the system will respond within milliseconds, according to the partners, to provide backup capacity to maintain the stability of the power system.
To support the transmission network, the system will provide a range of complex services including synthetic inertia, dynamic voltage control, emergency support and congestion management, among others.
The use of energy storage to support transmission and distribution networks is expected to grow rapidly, as grid congestion caused by the increasing penetration of renewables will require greater grid strengthening and release interventions.
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“We are proud to work with TransnetBW, a forward-thinking TSO that is leading the way in implementing innovative technologies that support future energy networks, stabilize energy costs for end-users and increase the deployment of renewables. The implementation of the Netzbooster project marks a turning point in accelerating the deployment of grid-scale energy storage in Germany and across Europe,” said Paul McCusker, senior vice president and president EMEA at Fluence.
“We look forward to delivering this highly sophisticated energy storage application at the scale needed to support the country’s energy transition.” Given the current energy crisis affecting Europe and the focus on accelerating the build-out of renewable energy under the RePowerEU plans, the implementation of this project is more urgent than ever,” McCusker added.
The initiative was first presented in 2019 as a concept under Germany’s 2030 Network Development Plan. It aims to enable more efficient operation of the existing transmission infrastructure and lower redispatching preventive measures. This will reduce the need for conventional grid reinforcement and operational costs, thereby reducing grid charges and energy costs for consumers.
250MW battery-based energy storage system supplied by Fluence will be located in Kupferzell, a major grid hub. It is scheduled to be completed in 2025 and will reduce the operating costs of Germany’s transmission system.
It is also hoped that this new application in Germany will serve as a proof of concept, highlighting the value of battery-based energy storage for improvement transmission infrastructure and drive deployment everywhere Germany, Europe and around the world.
“Working with TransnetBW to deliver this Netzbooster project will make a critical contribution to the country energy security and the stabilization of energy costs,” said Markus Meier, managing director of Fluence Energy GmbH.
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Grid Booster: World’s largest storage-as-transmission project gets green light
