RWE, a Germany-based energy company, has taken the final investment decision on a 400 MW / 1,100 MWh BESS at its Moerdijk power station in the Netherlands, one of the largest battery systems planned in the country. Construction has yet to begin, and commissioning is planned for the second quarter of 2028.

Behind those figures sit 208 containers of lithium-ion batteries, sized so the system can deliver its full output for almost three hours. RWE said that this is enough to cover the evening peak demand of around 500,000 households.

Duration is only half of the job. The same battery can absorb surplus electricity from the grid within seconds, which is what makes it useful as a congestion reliever in a region where the network is already under strain. RWE also expects it to support the system integration of the OranjeWind offshore project by helping to make optimal use of renewable electricity.

"This battery marks a major milestone for reliable power supply and grid relief in Noord-Brabant," said Nikolaus Valerius, CEO of RWE Generation SE. "Battery storage plays a crucial role in building a resilient energy system that can accommodate a growing share of renewables." The grid operator sees the value in the location. "RWE's large-scale battery is located close to the 150,000-volt high-voltage substation at Moerdijk-Noord, where it will help to alleviate the regional bottleneck, which in turn has an impact on congestion across the whole of Noord-Brabant," said Mark Lentjes, Regional Director of TenneT Southern Netherlands.

The new unit adds to a fleet RWE is already building out. In the Netherlands the company runs an existing battery at Moerdijk and a 35 MW / 41 MWh battery at Eemshaven power plant, and worldwide it operates about 1.7 GW of battery storage with 3 GW under construction.

RWE operates battery storage systems that it develops and builds in the US, Europe and Australia, and it plans to expand those capacities significantly as part of its growth strategy, according to the company.