Number of massive batteries for energy storing rising rapidly in Netherlands
After a slow start, the number of large batteries made to store and supply power back to the grid is rising rapidly in the Netherlands. And the capacity of these electricity “parking spaces” is also getting bigger and bigger, NOS reports based on information from Energy Storage NL, the industry association for energy storage.
Energy Storage NL expects battery capacity to double this year to around two gigawatt-hours. This means that they can store enough to supply 2 million households with electricity for an hour. The industry association expects the growth to continue in the coming years, though the pace depends on government policy and the development of the electricity market.
Two more massive batteries will be connected to the grid in November. Energy company Engie is building a battery farm on an island in Lelystad, and the company Flevo-BESS is building a battery in Dronten that will soon be the largest in the Netherlands.
Battery capacity is increasing due to the rise of renewable energy. This spring, almost half of all electricity in the Netherlands was generated from renewable sources like wind or sun. But this type of energy generation depends on the weather, and does not always coincide with electricity demand. So places are needed to store the excess energy for when there’s more demand than supply. For example, most people cook their main meal in the evening, while solar panels’ supply peaks in the early afternoon.
“You really want to create a ‘parking spot’ for sustainable energy,” CEO Harry Talen of Engie Nederland told NOS. “Batteries are a fantastic product for that. They charge when there is a high supply and low demand. And they feed that power back into the grid when demand increases.”
This week, caretaker Minister Sophie Hermans of Climate and Green Growth called large batteries a big part of the solution for the Nehterlands’ grid congestion. However, they must be properly distributed across the country. Otherwise, the grid congestion will only get worse.
