ENGIE has initiated the construction of one of Europe’s largest Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) at its Vilvoorde site in Belgium. This significant project comes after receiving its construction permit in July 2023 and being selected for capacity remuneration in October 2023.
Key details of the BESS Vilvoorde project
- Capacity and size:
- Installed capacity: 200 MW
- Energy storage: 800 MWh
- Number of battery modules: 320
- Size of each battery module: 25 m x 4 m x 3 m
- Site area: 3.5 hectares
- Energy coverage:
- Equivalent to 160,000 5 kWh domestic batteries
- Electricity consumption coverage: 96,000 households
- Phases and timeline:
- Phase 1: 100 MW of batteries to be commissioned in September 2025
- Phase 2: Additional 100 MW to be commissioned in January 2026
- Contract:
- 15-year contract with Elia, the national grid operator
ENGIE’s other BESS projects in Belgium:
- Kallo: 100 MW / 400 MWh
- Drogenbos: 80 MW / 320 MWh
Strategic importance:
- The BESS Vilvoorde project aligns with ENGIE’s commitment to developing large-scale flexibility solutions, crucial for integrating renewable energy into the grid.
- It supports ENGIE’s target of achieving 10 GW of installed battery capacity worldwide by 2030.
Statement from ENGIE:
Sébastien Arbola, Executive Vice President in charge of Flex Gen & Retail activities, emphasized the importance of BESS in ensuring the reliability and security of energy systems. He highlighted that batteries enable the absorption of peaks in renewable energy production and the release of this energy when production is lower and consumption is higher. These flexibility solutions will help accelerate the development of renewable energies and the energy transition.
