250 million euros investments
Large-scale battery storage planned in Saxony-Anhalt
07/17/2023 1:21 p.m
One of the largest battery storage facilities in Europe is to be built in Saxony-Anhalt. This would even be greater than the previous record holder in England. But even such mega-projects do not lead to electricity becoming cheaper, the company reports.
According to the operator, the Bavarian company Eco Stor is currently planning one of the largest battery storage systems in Europe in Saxony-Anhalt. The storage facility in Förderstedt near Staßfurt in the Salzland district should be able to store around 600 megawatt hours of electricity after its completion in 2025, said Managing Director Georg Gallmetzer. In theory, this could supply 31,250 households with electricity for 24 hours.
According to the market master data register, the currently largest battery storage system in operation in Germany has a storage capacity of 72 megawatt hours. According to media reports, the largest battery storage system in Europe is in England, is operated by Tesla and has a storage capacity of 196 megawatt hours. Many large storage facilities in Europe are currently being planned by various companies, Gallmetzer said. Especially in the field of renewable energies, with wind and solar power, the time-delayed feeding of the electricity into the grid makes sense.
The location in Saxony-Anhalt proved to be very suitable in investigations due to the presence of a substation there. It makes sense to set up storage where there is a collection point for as much renewable energy as possible. According to the company, it plans to invest around 250 million euros. Eco Stor is a subsidiary of the Norwegian electricity group A Energie.
Basically, such huge battery storage does not lead to electricity becoming cheaper, said Gallmetzer. The prices would be more predictable over the course of the day. Although it is a mega project, a storage capacity of 600 megawatt hours is just a drop in the bucket.