TenneT & Fluence agree German 'grid booster' deal

Transmission grid operator TenneT and energy storage company Fluence have signed a deal for the development of two ‘Grid Boosters’ at the German substations in Audorf Süd in Schleswig-Holstein and Ottenhofen in Bavaria.

The Gird Boosters are battery-based energy storage systems, with a combined power capacity of 200 MW, that will be developed by Fluence to increase the transmission capacities of existing power lines, as well as minimising grid interventions and increasing renewable penetration.

The battery storage will allow TenneT to integrate more electricity from renewable generation because the existing grid can be operated with a higher transmission load.

Roman Loosen, Fluence’s chief business operations and transformation officer, said: “Combining Fluence’s leading energy storage products and services with Tennet’s forward-thinking approach to grid management, the Grid Boosters play a critical role in strengthening the transmission system and symbolise the significant investment we are taking to advance clean tech innovation in Germany.”

Tim Meyerjürgens, COO of TenneT, added: "We will not be able to adapt the transmission grid to the new challenges of the new energy system with grid expansion alone. The integration of electricity from renewables into the transmission grid will also depend to a large extent on operating resources, with which we can flexibly control the transmission grid. We are therefore pleased to have won Fluence as a strong and competent partner with many years of experience in the field of storage solutions. Grid Boosters are important and tangible solutions for a secure and affordable electricity supply.”

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