Münch Energie has commissioned a battery energy storage system with around 500 MWh of storage capacity in Germany
It plans to increase the capacity of the project to 800 MWh later this year
The system is designed to store surplus renewable electricity and support grid stability
German energy company Münch Energie has officially commissioned a battery energy storage facility in Germany’s Saalekreis district, describing it as the country’s largest operational battery storage facility to date.
The state government calls it the largest contiguous storage cluster in operation in the country.
Located near Leuna/Krumpa in Saxony-Anhalt state, the project has a storage capacity of about 500 MWh and a power capacity of 250 MW. The facility is planned to expand to up to 800 MWh later this year.
The system consists of five sub-units connected to several dedicated substations with a combined installed capacity of 300 MVA. The batteries can absorb surplus electricity from wind and solar generation, including power from the public grid, while helping stabilize the grid and support power supply to the Leipzig/Halle region, Münch Energie explains.
Saxony-Anhalt Prime Minister Sven Schulze said large-scale storage would help make renewable electricity available when it is needed. “We already generate large quantities of electricity from solar and wind power. We can be proud of that. This energy will now be available precisely when people and businesses need it. Large-scale storage facilities are key to this flexibility,” added Schulze.
Münch Energie took close to six months to build the facility that it says was financed privately, without any state subsidies.
The Founder and Owner of Münch Energie, Mario Münch, said the company sees energy infrastructure as an important factor in regional development. He said, “The future of a region is determined today by its energy infrastructure. Investments flow where electricity is cheap, secure, and green. Our goal is to develop the Leipzig/Halle region into a location that sustains growth for decades, thereby creating prosperity for the people who call it home.”
The company said this project is part of its growing portfolio of solar PV, wind, large storage facilities and substations that make regions less dependent on imports and price fluctuations in the long term.
