Giga Storage announces 'Green Turtle' 600 MW/ 2,400 MWh BESS project in Belgium

Amsterdam-based BESS company Giga Storage has announced the development of the 'Green Turtle' project, an energy storage project with 600 MW of power and 2,400 MWh of capacity, located in Dilsen-Stokkem, Belgium. Construction of the project is expected to start this year.

The BESS is to be located adjacent to a new 380 kV Elia high-voltage station, and will play a key role in Belgium and Europe's energy transition, according to the developer. The project aims to provide stored renewable energy during periods of low solar and wind energy production, thereby reducing the reliance on coal and gas power plants.

Ruud Nijs, CEO of Giga Storage, commented on the project, "With these utility-scale energy storage projects, we contribute to energy security, both during and after the transition from fossil to renewable energy. By developing utility-scale energy storage at strategic locations, energy prices will become more stable, and we will become less dependent on the import of (fossil) energy". 

"While this project will be the largest battery in Europe, much more storage capacity will be needed in the coming years. Giga Storage aims to continue playing a significant role with its ambition of 5 GW installed capacity by 2030. Projects like the large battery in Delfzijl, The Netherlands, are already under development, and GIGA expects to announce several more projects in various European countries in the coming years", he added. 

With a storage capacity of 2,400 MWh, the BESS can support the average energy consumption of 330,000 families each day and feed back into the electricity grid. "This project is being developed on an industrial site where there was a previous initiative to develop a battery", said Joeri Siborgs, General Manager GIGA Storage Belgium. 

Siborgs further noted that Giga Storage is targeting 3 GW of battery storage capacity by deploying large-scale energy storage projects within the Belgian energy network by the end of this decade.