Feldheim: Groundbreaking ceremony for battery storage system

The battery storage system in Feldheim is entering the first construction phase. The symbolic turning of the sod was ceremoniously enacted today by representatives of the companies involved, in the company of the Brandenburg Minister for Economic and European Affairs, Ralf Christoffers (Die Linke), and the Deputy Mayor of Treuenbritzen, Ralf Gronemeier. The ceremony was attended by numerous guests from politics and society.

The first construction phase includes erecting the 17x30-metre building that will accommodate the battery. Each of the seven rooms in the facility will house 24 cabinets each containing 20 lithium-ion modules. The 3360 storage modules then provide 10 megawatts (MW) in total power output, or around 10,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) in capacity. The accumulator cells are produced by Korean-based LG, with advanced inverter technology being supplied by Enercon, the makers of wind turbines. The energy storage system is being installed in the immediate vicinity of the Feldheim wind farm and is scheduled for completion by the end of this year.

The battery provides balancing power for stabilising the power grid. Such power is needed to balance any discrepancies between electricity supply and demand. If there is an excess supply of electricity, for example during periods of strong winds, the battery storage system removes power from the grid, and releases it back to the grid when not enough power is being generated, for example when there is little or no wind. Until now, variations in the level of power generated by photovoltaic systems and wind turbines have been balanced by using fossil-fuel power station capacities.

The state of Brandenburg supports the testing of different electricity storage technologies as part of its 'energy storage initiative', which is open to all kinds of technologies. The regional government is providing the Feldheim battery storage project with around five million Euro on grant assistance from its RENplus programme. The grant is a combination of financial assistance from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and funds from the State of Brandenburg.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Christoffers said: “Brandenburg is a shiny example for the expansion of renewable energies – and that commitment has been commended three times already in the form of the 'Lodestar' prize conferred on individual states in Germany by the Federal Acengy of Renewable Energies. We are striving to cover all of our energy supply needs with renewable energies. However, that will only be possible if we manage to match the supply of wind or solar power with actual needs at all times. That, in turn, requires enormous efforts in research and development, so that different storage technologies can be tested and made ready for the market. The battery storage system being created in Feldheim will play a key role in the integration of renewable energies in a reliable power supply system.”

Investments will total around 12.8 million Euro. The difference will be provided by the project company, in which Energiequelle GmbH and Enercon GmbH hold interests. Energiequelle, the Zossen-based renewables company with strong experience in operational management, will take over the technical and commercial management of the battery storage system.