German energy company RWE has announced the installation of the first battery at the Neurath power plant in North Rhine-Westphalia.

RWE is developing one of the largest battery storage systems in Germany, comprising 690 battery blocks with a storage capacity of 235MWh and an output of 220MW.

The batteries are being installed at RWE power plant sites in Neurath and Hamm.

RWE power plants head Karl-Heinz Stauten stated: “It is impressive to see how rapidly the battery storage system is taking shape.

“In just a few months, one of the largest battery storage facilities in Germany will be put into operation here at Neurath, an energy location steeped in tradition, together with the sister project in Hamm.

“This is good news in terms of the structural change in the Rhenish mining area and a reliable electricity supply in an increasingly green world of energy.”

In Neurath, the first of the 250 battery blocks, with 80MW/84MWh of capacity, was installed on a 7,500m² area after completion of the foundations and underground cabling works.

Each of its battery blocks contains Li-ion cells.

RWE will also install the necessary grid infrastructure including high-voltage transformers as a link between the 110kV grid and the battery.

A total of 250 battery blocks with a storage capacity of 84MWh are planned for the second half of 2024 in Neurath.

The system will be remotely networked with RWE’s power plants, allowing control over whether the storage units deliver balancing energy alone or in concert with other power plants.

In December 2024, RWE was awarded contracts for difference from the Polish Energy Regulatory Office to build a solar portfolio totalling 66MW.

The portfolio includes small and medium-sized solar photovoltaic (PV) projects with varying construction schedules.

The solar PV projects will be located across the Polish provinces of Warmińsko-Mazurskie, Wielkopolskie, Łódzkie and Dolnośląskie.