Energy trading firm Second Foundation is building three grid-scale BESS projects in the Czech Republic totalling 307MW this year, with the technology provided by local firm Gaz Energy.
Second Foundation is investing CZK4 billion (€164 million/US$191 million) in three battery energy storage system (BESS) projects, which are:
- BESS Tušimice: 200MW/400MWh
- BESS Stonava: 87MW/180MWh
- BESS Vraňany: 20MW/40MWh
Czech BESS manufacturer Gaz Energy is providing the BESS technology, while Second Foundation will optimise the projects in-house via its recently-acquired subsidiary Nano Energies. The projects are targeting commissioning in 2026.
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BESS Tušimice (200MW/400MWh) is the largest of the three projects and will also be eventually topped up to 210MW/420MWh after the initial phase is complete. It will connect directly to the transmission system of transmission system operator (TSO) ČEPS, via the first privately owned substation in the Czech Republic (also known as Czechia).
Second Foundation and Ungelt Group own half of the Tušimice project’s capacity while the other half is held by Czech Energy Parks and other investors.
BESS Stonava (87MW/180MWh) meanwhile is located in an industrial zone in the Moravian-Silesian region, and will be the largest in the country when it comes online in late summer, before Tušimice. RSJ Investments and the Ungelt Group are co-investing in that project alongside Second Foundation.
BESS Vraňany (20MW/40MWh) is adjacent to the Energy Nest gas-plus-BESS project in the Mělník district, which came online in 2024 with at-the-time the country’s largest BESS. That project is owned by a company called Decci Group but Second Foundation also owns a stake in it.
For Tušimice, the substation and project were developed by Active Development Investment (ADI).
Jan Fousek, executive director of AKU-BAT CZ (Czech Association for Energy Storage), commented on the projects: “The Czech battery storage market is finally moving from project proposals to actual construction — and that is a fundamental shift. The market is maturing, and with it come growing demands for professional management and optimisation of storage assets. Professional trading of large-scale storage assets is what separates successful projects from the rest. The banks financing these projects know this, which is why they require an experienced flexibility aggregator with a proven track record. Projects that meet this standard are advancing the entire Czech energy market.”
Projects to provide ancillary services, using local manufacturing
The three BESS projects will provide the full spectrum of ancillary services, Second Foundation said, while its algorithmic trading experience will help it once those markets saturate. The Czech ancillary services market totals 1GW, of which 300MW is aFRR and FCR is 70MW (those most relevant for BESS).
The group currently manages over 110MW of BESS across the Czechia, Germany, Belgium, Japan, and other markets.
Gaz Energy, the supplier for the project, is producing BESS for 1.5GWh of projects in Europe, some of which are in partnership with Second Foundation. The firm’s systems are equipped with proprietary energy management systems (EMS) and battery management systems (BMS) software developed directly by Second Foundation, which the company said ensures full control over data and operations.
