Fluence to deliver 35MW/100MWh BESS project for ENGIE

Fluence Energy B.V. (Fluence) on Thursday (April 11) announced that it has been selected by ENGIE to deliver a 35MW/100MWh battery energy storage project at ENGIE's Maxima power plant in Lelystad, the Netherlands. 

Expected to come into operation in 2025, the project is expected to provide critical flexibility to the Dutch electricity system and increase energy security.

"We are proud to partner again with ENGIE to deploy this critical project in the Netherlands," said Paul McCusker, SVP & President EMEA at Fluence. "Positioning battery storage alongside different types of generation technologies strengthens their interplay to maintain grid stability as the energy transition accelerates."

The advanced BESS project set to come up at the Maxima power plant site is an energy hub that boasts different types of power generation. The site already has a 900MW gas-fired power plant and a 32MW solar farm. Fluence will supply the energy storage technology, software solutions, and services for the project.

As per the Climate Act, the Dutch government wants to reduce the Netherland's greenhouse gas emissions by 49 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 level and 95 percent by 2050. To achieve these targets and ensure the stability of the Dutch electricity grid, its transmission system operator outlined that at least 9GW of battery energy storage capacity by 2030 and 40-70 GW by 2050 will have to be brought online in the Netherlands.

"We are very pleased to announce that Fluence will supply storage technology for this battery park project. The energy mix of the future leads to a complex energy landscape. Numerous different factors need to simultaneously balance the demand and supply of electricity, while the infrastructure must support transportation for decentralized electricity generation and consumption," said Harry Talen, Plant Manager ENGIE Maxima.

"The current energy system is still not adequately equipped for this. This results in unwanted consequences, such as stops on new grid connections for businesses and new residential areas, as well as the curtailment of wind and solar parks. Battery energy storage systems are essential to avoid these consequences in the future."

For Fluence, this is another BESS project they will deliver for ENGIE following the successful commissioning of the 150MW/150MWh Hazelwood project, Australia's largest privately funded utility-scale battery, in mid-2023.