Large-scale battery storage to strengthen grid stability and the energy transition
BKW AG has concluded an agreement in principle with Swissgrid for a grid connection capacity of 400 megawatts for its planned large-scale battery plant in Mühleberg. The plant on the site of the decommissioned nuclear power plant is scheduled to go into operation in 2030.
BKW AG is pressing ahead with the expansion of its battery storage projects (Battery Energy Storage Systems/BESS). The Bern-based energy and infrastructure group has signed an agreement in principle with Swissgrid for a grid connection capacity of 400 megawatts for the planned large-scale battery plant in Mühleberg.
According to a press release, the plant is to be built on the logistics site of the decommissioned Mühleberg nuclear power plant and will be connected directly to Swissgrid’s transmission grid. With a planned output of 400 megawatts and a storage capacity of 800 megawatt hours, the project is one of the most powerful battery storage facilities in Switzerland. Commissioning is planned for the first quarter of 2030.
Following completion of the feasibility study, BKW is now starting the project planning phase and will then prepare the planning approval procedure with the Swiss Federal Inspectorate for Heavy Current Installations. “Large-scale battery storage systems stabilise the energy system and create the conditions for integrating renewable energies flexibly and efficiently into the grid,” says Margarita Aleksieva, Executive Vice President Energy Production and member of the Group Executive Board.
At the same time, BKW is developing further battery storage projects in Switzerland and Germany, which are currently in various stages of development. The expansion will strengthen the company’s “position as a relevant long-term provider of storage solutions”, says Marcel Bühlmann, Managing Director Business Unit BESS.