HELLENiQ Energy’s first battery storage park has 100 MW in operating power and 200 MWh of capacity. It is one of the biggest of its kind in Greece as well as in the Balkans.
On ten hectares and with 56 battery containers in its Thessaloniki industrial hub, HELLENiQ Renewables launched the operations of a major battery energy storage system (BESS). The 100 MW facility in northern Greece has a two-hour duration, which translates to 200 MWh. It is a volume equivalent of 3,000 electric cars fully charged, according to the subsidiary of HELLENiQ Energy.
Standalone battery systems enhance the electricity system’s reliability and capacity to integrate renewable sources. HELLENiQ Energy’s first BESS is among the strongest in Greece and Southeastern Europe.
The government supported the investment through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan Greece 2.0, under the European Union’s programs Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) and NextGenerationEU. The Thessaloniki project is worth an overall EUR 50 million. It consists of three segments. There is a project for another 25 MW and 50 MWh.
Standalone BESS facilities make power available when it is needed most
Some renewable electricity production is often lost when total consumption is lower, because output and demand have to be totally balanced at each moment.
“With storage, this power can be retained and made available when it is needed most, allowing for more efficient use of renewable resources and supporting cleaner solutions for consumers,” said CEO of HELLENiQ Renewables Sotiris Kapellos.
One full cycle per day
The new energy storage facility will perform at least one full charge and discharge cycle per day, according to the statement. The company has deployed lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) technology with a liquid cooling system.
A 33/150 kV substation was installed together with an underground high-voltage transmission line of five kilometers.
HELLENiQ Energy added that its renewables and battery portfolio exceeds 6 GW, of which 727 MW is in operation. Energy storage projects in Greece, Romania, Cyprus, and Bulgaria account for more than 1 GW.
The company expects its second BESS to be completed soon, in Greece’s north. The site in Florina in the coal region of Western Macedonia is for 50 MW in capability and 200 MWh of storage capacity.
HELLENiQ Energy aims for 1.5 GW by 2028 and over 2 GW by 2030 in photovoltaics, wind and storage in the country and Southeastern Europe.
Greece had some 600 MW of BESS last month in the high-voltage network.
