Netherlands-based developer Giga Storage has announced its first project beyond its home country, with a 300MW/1,200MWh transmission-connected BESS planned in neighbouring Belgium.
The company announced that its Belgium arm is planning to develop the project in the municipality of Kinrooi, which sits on the border between the Belgium and the Netherlands.
The project will be adjacent to the Van Eyck high-voltage substation in Molshofstraat, which connects two 380kV high-voltage transmission lines which Giga Stroage called “the backbone of the Belgian high-voltage grid”.
The company added that this will enable the project to connect directly to the high-voltage transmission network. Some BESS projects in the UK have opted for this route, which is different to most BESS projects, which connect to lower-voltage networks operated by distribution network operators.
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The benefits of a direct transmission connection were discussed by EDF Renewables in a recent interview with Energy-Storage.news, with one of its projects the first in the country to connect in such a manner.
Giga Storage is holding an information presentation to locals and stakeholders about the project near the planned site today (28 September) from 4-8 pm local time.
Ruud Nijs, CEO of Giga, commented: “We have been active in energy storage in the Netherlands for several years. It’s great to see that momentum is now building in Belgium as well. This project is of a similar scale to our Dutch project in Delfzijll. However, developments in Belgium are progressing faster since batteries in Belgium are largely exempt from transmission network costs.”
Dutch utility Eneco also recently alluded to Belgium having a much more favourable regulatory and commercial environment for large-scale BESS, when it announced a project in the country, while calling for more to be done by its own government in the Netherlands. Another Dutch developer, Lion Storage, talked through these challenges in detail in an interview earlier this year.
BESS projects in Belgium are monetised through energy trading or by providing flexibility services to grid operator Elia.
The Belgium arm of France-headquartered multinational utility Engie also proposed three projects, totalling 380MW of power, in April this year.
