Better Energy to install 10 MW battery energy storage system at its Hoby solar park
Better Energy has commenced its first battery energy storage system (BESS) project.
A 10 MW lithium-ion battery system is expected to be installed by the end of 2024 at its Hoby solar park on Lolland in Denmark. The project presents an opportunity for Better Energy to develop strategies based on the grid operators’ need for system flexibility and an energy system based primarily on renewables.
Developing strategies for a flexible power grid
A key component of the green transition will be balancing consumption and production of green electricity. This requires renewable energy companies, like Better Energy, to develop integrated strategies that allow for flexibility in the power grid. The BESS project at Hoby solar park will allow Better Energy to offer ancillary services and frequency control to help the Danish TSO, Energinet, regulate the power grid. Better Energy has previously collaborated with Energinet to certify its Væggerløse solar park to provide frequency services, an example of the strong collaboration between renewable energy companies and grid operators needed to achieve a stable and reliable power grid.
"As renewable energy production becomes more dominant in the energy system, it is important that new technologies and renewable energy companies also contribute to the balancing market and support the stability of the systems,” says Thomas Dalgas Fechtenburg, Senior Manager, Ancillary Services at Energinet. “Therefore, it is great to see that Better Energy is enabling more flexible operation by installing a relatively large battery in their park.”
An energy system based on renewable energy
Better Energy’s first BESS project is in anticipation of an energy system based on renewable energy and underlines the importance of flexibility. Through early-stage energy storage and discharge planning, Better Energy can contribute to stabilising the power grid and electricity prices. The BESS project presents the opportunity to store excess energy at peak times for renewable energy and work toward ensuring green electricity is regularly available.
“As we increase the amount of green energy we can produce, we need to take responsibility and actively work with the grid companies to develop strategies that allow for a flexible power grid driven by renewable energy,” says Viggo Aavang, Senior Vice President of Power Markets at Better Energy. “The BESS project connected to our Hoby solar park creates another opportunity for us to promote flexibility which is crucial in order to build a system based on renewables.”
One of the largest BESS projects in Denmark
Better Energy’s BESS project is expected to provide 12 MWh of energy storage, one of the largest planned projects in connection with a solar park in Denmark to date. The Hoby solar park was grid-connected in August 2023 and has a production capacity of 70 GWh, the equivalent of the electricity consumption of approximately 43,000 Danes. The BESS is expected to be installed and operational by the end of 2024.