en.Wedoany.com Reported - Aukera Energy has reached financial close on its Volt battery storage project in La Louvière, Belgium, with a capacity of 170 MW/340 MWh.
This project, jointly developed by Aukera and Weerts Group, has secured a total of €97.5 million (approximately $113 million) in debt financing before its expected commercial operation in mid-2027.
The Volt project is Aukera's first battery storage facility built in Belgium and is one of the largest such assets currently under construction in the country. The 340 MWh energy storage system has secured a 15-year contract under the Y-4 capacity remuneration mechanism operated by Elia, Belgium's transmission system operator.
In the auction of this mechanism held in autumn 2025, subscriptions exceeded supply, with existing CCGT power plants replacing new BESS capacity. However, the Volt BESS project still successfully secured a long-term and bankable agreement, thereby attracting local investor participation.
The project's senior debt is provided by ABN AMRO Bank N.V. and Triodos Bank as joint mandated lead arrangers and bookrunners, with ABN AMRO also serving as structuring bank, hedging bank, account bank, and agent bank.
According to Aukera, the subordinated debt is fully provided by Belgian institutional investors, with I4B acting as lead subordinated lender, and Wallonie Entreprendre and SOCOFE co-participating. The developer also stated that the transmission connection project will use a 150 kV transformer supplied by local manufacturer Pauwels.
The Volt project is considered by Aukera as the first project in its planned "significant Belgian portfolio." The developer stated that this project demonstrates that Belgium can achieve bankable large-scale battery storage deployment by combining long-term capacity market revenues, innovative financing structures, and domestic institutional investment.
Pascal Emsens, co-founder of Brussels-based Aukera, stated that thanks to Elia's capacity remuneration mechanism and the support of the local financial community, Belgium has become one of the most reliable battery storage markets in Europe.
"Volt is our largest BESS project in Belgium, but it is intended to be the beginning of a larger commitment. We are proud to advance this project with Belgian partners along the value chain. This is our home, and we are building here," Emsens said.
Louise Brimont, Impact Relationship Manager at Triodos Bank, stated that this transaction demonstrates the "growing bankability" of large-scale storage assets.
This article is compiled by Wedoany. All AI citations must indicate the source as "Wedoany". If there is any infringement or other issues, please notify us promptly, and we will modify or delete it accordingly. Email: news@wedoany.com
