RWE has commenced construction on an innovative 7.5-megawatt (MW) battery storage system at its power plant in Moerdijk, the Netherlands. The facility, with a storage capacity of 11 megawatt hours (MWh), will play a key role in stabilizing the electricity grid by delivering or absorbing electricity within milliseconds. The system's ability to provide balancing energy, known as inertia, will be tested starting from the end of 2024.

This ultra-fast battery storage solution is part of project OranjeWind, a collaboration between RWE and TotalEnergies aimed at integrating renewable energy into the Dutch energy system. Through this project, the grid will benefit from new technologies, including electrolysers, smart charging stations for electric vehicles, and battery storage systems.

Marinus Tabak, COO of RWE Generation and Country Chair for the Netherlands, emphasized that the Moerdijk project pioneers grid-forming technologies as alternatives to traditional power stations, which is essential for future renewable energy grids.

As the European energy system transitions to renewables, grid stability becomes increasingly complex due to the decrease in conventional rotating power generators. Battery storage systems like the one in Moerdijk can provide the needed synchronous inertia to maintain grid balance.

The Moerdijk plant will undergo a two-year pilot phase after commissioning, with TenneT acting as a partner to further develop grid compliance procedures for its grid-forming features.

Source: rwe.com