VERBUND battery storage chain Nordbayern secures stable energy supply in Bavaria

01.02.2023Diespeck

Initial operation of what is presently Bavaria’s biggest battery store by Secretary of State Hubert Aiwanger

Hubert Aiwanger, deputy minister president and Bavarian Secretary of State for Economy, Land Development and Energy, put what are currently the two biggest battery stores in Bavaria into operation today, Monday, with VERBUND CEO Michael Strugl. Together, the two storage locations in Diespeck and Iphofen form the VERBUND battery storage chain Nordbayern with 42 MW of total capacity and a storage volume of 48 MWh. The festive initial operation took place together with the project implementation partners ECO STOR and Kyon Energy.

Hubert Aiwanger, Bavarian Secretary of State for Industry, Land Development and Energy, on the occasion of the initial operation: “Green electricity from PV and wind has to reach the grid even faster and better than before. Building the line alone is hardly the end of it. Just as important are intelligent systems such as the new battery store here in Diespeck. We need more of this. Storage facilities, and in future also electrolysers for green hydrogen, are game-changing for the expansion of renewables. Conventional grid expansion will no longer be enough in the future. Today is therefore the first energy industry highlight for Bavaria in this still new year. I thank VERBUND, ECO STOR and Kyon Energy for their willingness to invest in Bavaria’s energy transition.”

“No successful energy transition without storage. Only when we manage to successfully integrate fluctuating forms of generation into the strong and stable grids can a renewable future succeed: each kilowatt hour that can be generated should also be able to be generated without putting network stability at risk. Each kilowatt hour generated must then be able to be made available when it is actually needed. The VERBUND battery storage chain Nordbayern makes a valuable contribution to this. We are fully focused on the energy future: by the end of 2030, VERBUND is planning to install a total of 1 GW of battery storage capacity,” said Michael Strugl,
Chairman of the Executive Board of VERBUND, who described the company as a “storage expert” with regard to the pumped storage power plants and the planned Riedl energy store in southern Bavaria.

Steffen Syvertsen, CEO of Å Energi said: “Å Energi has a long tradition in the provision of reliable and flexible energy from renewable hydropower. The present energy crisis has made clear how important storage capacities are for an affordable, clean and reliable energy supply – a basic requirement for successful industrial states. Battery stores offer security for critical grid infrastructures, remove grid bottlenecks and contribution to the reduction of spikes in electricity prices. By avoiding the use of fossil power plants, they also make a contribution to decarbonisation. With our subsidiary, ECO STOR, Å Energi is planning to expand large battery storage capacities in Germany and Europe. We are therefore delighted about the result of the partnership of VERBUND, ECO STOR and Kyon Energy: the pioneering battery storage facility in Diespeck and Iphofen.”

Florian Antwerpen also had positive things to say about battery stores: “Battery storage is essential for the expansion of renewable energy and for the security of supply in Germany: they are the most efficient option for adding urgently needed flexibility to the electricity grids. The joint battery storage projects of Kyon Energy, VERBUND and ECO STOR are therefore an important step in the energy transition. As one of the market leaders in the project planning of large battery stores in Germany, we at Kyon Energy are driving forwards the expansion across the country.

VERBUND battery storage chain Nordbayern

Storage solutions play a key role in a modern and renewable energy supply. As short-term stores, large battery storage facilities provide security for the critical infrastructure and lower spikes in the price of electricity by reducing the load on the electricity grids. Three strong partners realised the large battery store, which has a total capacity of 42 MW: VERBUND, one of the leading electricity generators from renewable energies and a key player for the success of the energy transition in Europe, the German-Norwegian technology company ECO STOR and the project developer Kyon Energy. The VERBUND battery storage chain Nordbayern – Diespeck in the district of Neustadt an der Aisch and Iphofen in the district of Kitzingen – is connected to the grid of N-Ergie Netz GmbH in the balancing zone of TenneT, and marks an important milestone for a secure electricity supply in Bavaria. The two sites each have 21 MW of capacity and a storage capacity of 24 MWh. The batteries are divided among 6 battery stations each. VERBUND has invested around 26 million euros in implementing the project.
Importance of battery stores
The increasing expansion of wind and solar power is causing big fluctuations in the power grid. Excess energy is followed by periods of shortfalls. The large battery store springs into action when the distribution grid is under particularly heavy load. For example, on dull winter’s days or in phases of particularly high energy consumption. In addition, the stored energy is marketed on the intraday and balancing energy market and is available for the provision of avoided grid charges.

“Å Energi has a long history of providing reliable and flexible energy based on renewable hydropower. The energy crisis has shown us the importance of energy storage, in order to continue providing affordable, clean and reliable energy. A requirement for successful industrial nations. Battery storage brings security to critical infrastructure and contributes to reducing electricity price peaks. It reduces fossil power plant utilisation, hence it helps decarbonisation of the electricity markets as well as relieving congestion in the grid. Via our subsidiary, ECO STOR, Å Energi aims to build up large battery storage capacities in Germany and Europe. We welcome the partnership of ECO STOR with VERBUND and Kyon Energy that led to the flagship battery projects in Diespeck and Iphofen.”

 

Media spokesperson for Salzburg, Tyrol and Bavaria

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