Executive summary
A €50 million battery energy storage facility developed by HELLENiQ Renewables has entered operation in Thessaloniki, Greece. The 100 MW/200 MWh project uses liquid-cooled LFP batteries and includes three storage systems. Developed under Greece’s first competitive energy storage tender, the facility will provide grid balancing services and reduce renewable electricity curtailment.
Company: HELLENiQ ENERGY
Developer: HELLENiQ Renewables
Project: Thessaloniki Battery Storage Park
Location: Thessaloniki, Greece
Power capacity: 100 MW
Energy storage capacity: 200 MWh
Storage duration: 2 hours
HELLENiQ ENERGY, a Greece-based integrated energy group operating through its subsidiary HELLENiQ Renewables, has commissioned its first battery energy storage system (BESS) at the Thessaloniki Industrial Facilities in Greece. The project has an installed power capacity of 100 MW and an energy storage capacity of 200 MWh. Developed at an investment of approximately €50 million, the facility is among the largest battery storage installations in Greece and Southeast Europe.
The battery park occupies approximately 100,000 square meters and comprises three storage systems using lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries with liquid cooling technology. The installation includes electrical infrastructure required for connection to Greece’s National Electricity Transmission System. A new 33/150 kV step-up substation and an underground high-voltage transmission line extending approximately 5 km connect the facility to the Thessaloniki Extra-High Voltage Centre.
The storage facility is designed to complete at least one full charge-discharge cycle daily, handling more than 200 MWh of electricity. According to HELLENiQ ENERGY, this daily energy volume is equivalent to fully charging approximately 3,000 electric vehicles. The system will store electricity during periods of surplus generation and discharge it when electricity demand increases, providing flexibility and balancing services to the national grid.
The project was selected through Greece’s first competitive energy storage tender conducted by the Regulatory Authority for Waste, Energy and Water (RAAEY). Its implementation is supported through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, Greece 2.0, with European Union funding under NextGenerationEU. Approximately 100 direct jobs were created during construction, alongside procurement and service opportunities for regional businesses.
HELLENiQ ENERGY has also been developing a second battery storage project in Florina, Greece, with a planned capacity of 50 MW/200 MWh. Construction of that facility is expected to be completed in the near future, according to the company.
The group's renewable energy and storage development portfolio exceeds 6 GW across Greece and Southeast Europe. More than 1 GW of this portfolio relates to storage projects in Greece, Romania, Cyprus and Bulgaria. The company has reported more than 700 MW of operational renewable energy and storage capacity.
HELLENiQ ENERGY has established targets of 1.5 GW of operational renewable energy projects by 2028 and more than 2 GW by 2030. Its portfolio includes solar, wind and battery storage developments, with the Thessaloniki facility adding grid-connected electricity storage capacity to its existing operations.