Energy companies are accelerating battery storage deployment in Germany, with TotalEnergies and Kyon, Envision Energy and Ju:niz, and Flower announcing significant project developments and acquisitions.

This edition of news in brief features portfolio acquisitions, project completions, a supply deal and investments across Europe.

Three massive BESS projects have been launched in Europe: BW ESS has broken ground on a 1GW/5.7GWh system in Germany, while Greenvolt and Giga Storage have enlisted suppliers (BYD and Tesla) for 2.4GWh and 2.8GWh projects in Poland and Belgium.

EnBW and VPI have launched construction on large-scale BESS projects in Germany, while Elements Green and Eku Energy have agreed supply and acquisition deals respectively for separate 400MW/1,600MWh projects.

Germany’s policymakers, regulators and energy storage industry must carefully consider the issues of grid connections and grid fees, writes Thomas Antonioli of developer Terra One.

Flower and ENGIE sign a 7-year virtual toll for 126MW in Germany, while Entrix wins optimisation rights for DRI’s 133MW Polish BESS.

FlexGen and Eos Energy Enterprises, two US energy storage sector companies with different specialisations, have entered the European market.

We chat to Stephan Lehrke, head of Germany at Second Foundation, a Czech Republic-headquartered energy asset trading firm which is becoming an owner-operator of BESS.

Wärtsilä spinning out its energy storage activities and divesting a 50% stake this week reflects difficulties in making the business profitable and synergistic within the wider group activities, analysts said.

Octopus Energy Generation has partnered with ZE Energy to invest in and build one of Italy’s biggest BESS projects, while Eco Stor has secured financing for one of Germany’s, which it is already building. Optimiser Entrix has also won two large contracts in Germany and the Netherlands.