Germany's RWE Approves Investment in 400MW/1100MWh Battery Energy Storage Project in the Netherlands

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 21, Germany's RWE announced a final investment decision for a large-scale battery energy storage project in Moerdijk, North Brabant, the Netherlands. The project will build a 400MW/1100MWh lithium-ion battery energy storage system, consisting of 208 battery containers, capable of discharging continuously at full power for nearly 3 hours. Construction is planned to start soon, with the project scheduled to enter operation in the second quarter of 2028.

The new storage facility will be built at the existing site of the RWE Moerdijk power plant and will connect to the Dutch national grid via the plant's existing substation. The project will enter into a capacity dispatch arrangement with transmission system operator TenneT to adjust charging and discharging power when congestion occurs on the North Brabant grid. TenneT and regional distribution operator Enexis will reassess local grid congestion management plans in conjunction with the project, with the related assessment scheduled to be updated in December 2026.

The project will also be equipped with advanced grid services such as instantaneous reserve. The Moerdijk site currently has a 7.5MW/11MWh inertia battery system, which has been used to test grid-forming and fast frequency support capabilities; the new large-scale storage system will expand the site's peak shaving, congestion management, and system services capabilities.

The storage project will be integrated into the onshore flexibility system of the OranjeWind offshore wind project. OranjeWind is jointly developed by RWE and TotalEnergies, with a total installed capacity of 795MW, located approximately 53 kilometers west of the Dutch coast, and plans to install 53 Vestas V236-15MW turbines. The first monopile foundation was installed on September 1, with all foundations planned to be completed by early 2027, turbine installation scheduled for 2027, and full operation planned for early 2028.

The Moerdijk battery will absorb power when offshore wind output is high and feed it back to the grid when the system requires it, participating in OranjeWind system integration alongside flexible loads such as electrolytic hydrogen production, electric boilers, and smart charging. RWE currently also operates a 35MW/41MWh Eemshaven battery energy storage project in the Netherlands, which has been in operation since early 2025.