Forward-looking technology: RWE operates state-of-the-art battery storage facility 

An investment of six million euros, a storage capacity of 7 megawatts and start of operation in early 2018: those are the key figures for the powerful battery storage system that RWE Generation has installed at the site of its pumped-storage power plant at Hengsteysee lake in Herdecke. The lithium-ion based battery system has been supplied by Belectric, a worldwide leader in the field of energy storage systems.

In total, the battery storage facility comprises three equal systems. Each system consists of a 40-foot container with the battery modules, a converter and a transformer. At the heart of the storage facility are 552 battery modules in total, each with 100 lithium-ion cells from the automotive industry. The batteries can store around 7 megawatt hours of energy and feed it back into the grid for approximately one hour. This is enough power for an electric vehicle to drive around the globe one and a half times. The available capacity of the battery storage facility is registered with transmission system operator Amprion and is marketed from Essen by RWE Supply & Trading.

Battery storage systems make an important contribution towards implementing the energy transition

With the new battery storage facility, RWE is making an important contribution towards securing the energy supply of the future in Germany. It helps to balance out the fluctuating feed-in from solar and wind power systems and thus stabilises the grid. The facility is the first reference project in the market for battery storage systems. Storage technologies are the link between modern grids and the volatile generation from renewables. 

Herdecke is the ideal location for the new system. On the site of the pumped-storage power plant synergies can be used. In addition to a medium voltage connection, Herdecke has an operating team with a wealth of experience in the temporary storage of electrical energy and in handling the associated technology.