Vertically integrated utilities Eneco and EPH will build a 50MW/200MWh BESS in the Netherlands via a 50:50 joint venture.
The 4-hour battery energy storage system (BESS) will be built at Eneco 50%-held subsidiary Enecogen’s Europoor power plant in Rotterdam, and is scheduled to go into commercial operation in 2027.
Eneco is a utility and power generation firm based in the Netherlands, while EPH (Energetický a průmyslový holding) is a Czechia-based company engaged in the same sectors. EPH is pursuing this investment via subsidary EP NL, which operates 2.6GW of generation capacity in the Netherlands, the third-highest in the country.
Enecogen will be responsible for maintenance and operations, while the EP NL and Eneco trading departments will control the BESS’ dispatch in the electricity market.
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Eneco has been a major driver of the Dutch grid-scale energy storage market. In mid-2023 it announced plans for a 200MWh BESS project in Belgium and called for more from Dutch government to help the domestic market take off.
In May 2024, the government reformed grid fees following which a swathe of large-scale projects progressed. Last month saw German power generation firm RWE put an inertia-capable project online and BESS developer-operator Giga Storage start construction on a 1.2GWh system.
Eneco has primarily played the role of optimiser, agreeing offtake deals for BESS projects from owner-operators Dispatch and Dronter Energy Storage, and this announcement shows it taking the step into direct ownership of large-scale projects on home turf.
However, commenting on the announcement, Karen de Lathouder, COO assets for Eneco, said more needs to be done: “We are still miles away from achieving the battery capacity required in the Netherlands to prevent power shortages and grid congestion, as well as reducing emissions from our energy system sufficiently. As in Belgium and Germany, batteries in the Netherlands should be exempt from grid charges to enable this acceleration.”
The grid charges refers to fees for charging and discharging electricity to and from the grid. Belgium has provided a 10-year exemption for BESS projects commissioned by 2028, while Germany has done the same up until 2029, with a long-term solution being discussed.
