TotalEnergies launches a 25 MWh energy storage site in Carling, France

TotalEnergies launched a battery energy storage site with a 25 MWh storage capacity at its Carling platform in France on Monday.

TotalEnergies' Carling platform produces electricity from two gas-fired power plants, and now with the commissioning of the storage site, it will store electricity with a battery energy storage system provided by Saft, a subsidiary of TotalEnergies and a leading battery company.

"In a desire to contribute to the renewable energy ambition of Carling and its region, TotalEnergies is proud, through its storage site, to be a partner participating in the industrial future of the Lorraine region as well as a partner guaranteeing the stability of the RTE network," said Jean-Henri Culerier, VP Energy Storage Solutions at TotalEnergies.

The latest project is part of the storage capacities awarded in response to the long-term call for tenders (AOLT) from the French Electricity Transmission Network (RTE). The Carling platform in France marks the second site commissioned by TotalEnergies for the RTE's long-term call for tender after Dunkirk, the largest storage site in France with a storage capacity of 61 MWh. 

The latest project is made up of 11 lithium-ion battery containers designed and assembled by Saft, which will respond to the needs for grid stabilization and electricity supply during power consumption peaks in France, especially in winter. Further, the company expects to deliver the third site by the end of 2022 to finalize the project portfolio for RTE. 

TotalEnergies at present boasts 86 MW of already installed capacity. 

"Saft's lithium-ion storage solutions for renewable energy and its electricity network services, which are modular and replicable, enable TotalEnergies to deploy new applications to further improve energy efficiency in France, ensuring the safety throughout every phase of the project, from its design to its commissioning," said Hervé Amossé, VP Energy Storage Solutions at Saft.

TotalEnergies has set itself an ambitious target of reaching net-zero by 2050 and has been building a portfolio of activities in renewables and electricity. According to the company, by the end of September 2021, its gross renewable electricity generation capacity stood at 10 GW and it will continue to expand this business to reach 35 GW of gross production capacity from renewable sources and storage by 2025, and 100 GW by 2030 with the objective of being among the world's top five producers of electricity from wind and solar energy.

"This project is fully in line with TotalEnergies' climate ambition of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, together with society," said Corinne Loigerot, Director of TotalEnergies Carling.