Romanian renewable energy developer Renovatio Group and Portugal-based Greenvolt Group are building a 918 MWh battery energy storage system in eastern Romania, one of the country’s largest. The Borzești Energy Storage facility will be built by Renovatio’s engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) division, Renovatio Solar, in cooperation with Chinese battery producer CATL.
The project is being developed through a special purpose vehicle called Borzești Energy Storage, jointly owned by Renovatio’s RNV Infrastructure and Greenvolt Power, part of Greenvolt Group, Romanian media reported, citing a press release from Renovatio Solar.
“Renovatio Solar and CATL are teaming up to deliver this landmark project, in which we assume the role of an integrated EPC partner,” Renovatio Solar said in a LinkedIn post, adding that Borzești is one of the largest projects of its kind in Romania.
The project is expected to be completed within 12 months. The financial details were not disclosed, according to the reports.
The battery energy storage system (BESS), at a site in Romania’s Bacău county, is expected to enable the integration of several hundred megawatts of renewable energy capacity over the medium term without proportional grid investment, reducing Romania’s reliance on energy imports, according to the reports.
The Borzești BESS will enable the integration of several hundred megawatts of renewables
It will store surplus electricity produced during periods when solar generation exceeds demand and discharge it during the evening peak. The battery system will also provide a rapid response to fluctuations in grid frequency, helping balance the system much faster than conventional technologies, Renovatio Solar said.
João Manso Neto, CEO of Greenvolt Group, noted that Borzești is an extension of the Portuguese company’s energy storage portfolio in Southeast Europe, particularly in Hungary and Poland. He added that Greenvolt has a 5 GW portfolio of energy storage projects.
In late August, Greenvolt said it had secured a financing package for two BESS projects in Poland, with a combined capacity of 1.6 GWh. In June, it inaugurated a 288.6 MWh BESS in Hungary, according to the company’s website.
CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited) is a global supplier of batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage systems, with a market share of about 38%.
