Europe's Largest Battery Storage Project Receives Approval: A Milestone Achievement

Giga Storage, based in the Netherlands, has secured an irreversible permit to start building the GIGA Green Turtle in Belgium. This 600 MW/2,400 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project, set to be the largest in Europe, will now proceed with financing arrangements.

Located in Dilsen-Stokkem, eastern Belgium, the project is strategically placed next to a new 380 kV high-voltage station operated by Elia. It sits along the high-voltage line connecting Van Eyck to Gramme.

The BESS facility will be constructed on an industrial site formerly occupied by a zinc factory, where previous initiatives for a battery park had been considered. Giga Storage took over the land from the previous zinc factory operators.

This extensive project will include 20 battery units, each paired with an inverter, and feature 185 medium voltage transformers and five high-voltage transformers, collectively offering a capacity of 1,500 MVA. Additionally, it will be surrounded by a green space of 25,650 square meters.

Once operational, the GIGA Green Turtle will have the capacity to store the equivalent annual energy consumption of 330,000 households and will contribute this stored energy back to the power grid, according to the developers.

The construction of the GIGA Green Turtle, a massive 600 MW/2,400 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project in Belgium, is slated to begin in 2025 and is expected to be completed by 2028. This project is anticipated to significantly contribute to the energy transition in Belgium and Europe as a whole.

Ruud Nijs, the CEO of Giga Storage, emphasized the importance of this development in January, noting that such utility-scale energy storage systems at strategic locations would help stabilize energy prices and reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels. He stated, "While this project will be the largest battery in Europe, much more storage capacity will be needed in the coming years.”

Giga Storage has set ambitious goals, aiming to develop 5 GW of BESS projects across Europe by 2030. Among these, a 300 MW/1,200 MWh BESS project is already underway in the Delfzijl region of the Netherlands, with plans for more projects in various European countries expected to be announced soon.

The Dutch developer has a track record of implementing large-scale energy projects. It launched a 12 MW/7.5 MWh battery in the Netherlands in 2020 and a subsequent 25 MW/48 MWh system in 2022. Moreover, Giga Storage has plans for a new 300 MW battery park near the Van Eyck high-voltage station in Kinrooi, which is just 15 kilometers from the GIGA Green Turtle site.

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