Gigawatt-scale energy storage
Two of Europe's largest battery storage projects are to be implemented in Jänschwalde (Brandenburg) and Boxberg (Saxony). Together with international technology partners, LEAG Clean Power is setting standards for stabilising the electricity grid and the efficient use of renewable energies through modern storage technology.
Lusatia as a hotspot for future energy
Lusatia is transforming into one of Europe's most exciting energy regions. Wind energy and photovoltaic plants are being built on recultivated post-mining land. Developed energy sites are being made fit for the future with planned flexible power plants and new large-scale storage facilities.
Two new projects by LEAG Clean Power are playing a key role in this: the GigaBattery Jänschwalde 1000 and the GigaBattery Boxberg 400. They form central components of the GigawattFactory – the concept with which the LEAG Group is linking renewable generation, storage and, in future, hydrogen-capable power plants.
GigaBattery Jänschwalde 1000
The Jänschwalde 1000 GigaBattery is designed for an output of 1,000 MW and a storage capacity of 4,000 MWh – enough electrical energy to supply 1.6 million households for four hours. An area of around ten hectares southeast of the Jänschwalde power station has been earmarked for this purpose.
LEAG Clean Power is cooperating with Fluence, a joint venture between Siemens Energy and the American company AES (Applied Energy Services), to implement the project. Fluence is one of the world's leading providers of energy storage technologies with project experience in nearly 50 markets. The company is supplying the modular Smartstack storage system based on lithium iron phosphate batteries and is responsible for the system integration of the electrical equipment and the construction of the storage facility.
Siemens Energy is constructing a new 380-kV switchgear facility that will enable both renewable feed-in from the surrounding area and the charging and discharging of the large-scale storage facility.
GigaBattery Boxberg 400
At the Boxberg power plant site, another large-scale storage facility is being developed: the GigaBattery Boxberg 400 with a power output of 400 MW and 1,600 MWh energy storage capacity. The amount of energy stored can cover the electricity consumption of around 640,000 households for four hours.
Before the project started, four cooling towers at the decommissioned old power plant were dismantled and demolished, and the site was completely cleared.
The technology partner for the GigaBattery Boxberg 400 is HyperStrong International, an energy storage company with over 14 years of experience and more than 400 projects completed worldwide. The collaboration includes the supply of battery systems with lithium iron phosphate battery cells, the system integration of the electrical equipment and the construction of the storage facility. The GigaBattery Boxberg 400 is based on HyperStrong's tried-and-tested Hyperblock III storage system for industrial use.
This project will also be connected to the extra-high voltage grid via new Siemens Energy switchgear technology.
What GigaBatteries can do
The technical design of GigaBatteries as four-hour storage units supports the expansion and efficient use of renewable energies. The integration of electricity from photovoltaics and wind power into the energy system is improved by the batteries compensating for natural fluctuations in renewable energy production through charging and discharging. Surplus electricity can be absorbed, temporarily stored and fed back into the grid as needed.
This enables them to take on relevant tasks in tomorrow's energy system:
Reaction times of seconds in the event of grid fluctuations
Provision of primary and secondary balancing power
Smoothing volatile feed-in from wind and solar energy
The choice of location is a conscious decision: Jänschwalde and Boxberg already have high-capacity grid connections, which can be optimally utilised by the four-hour storage systems. In addition, suitable land, extensive operational experience and qualified personnel are available.
This creates a storage cluster that strengthens security of supply and opens up new prospects for site development, follow-up investments and value creation in the region.