The Philippsburg power plant site is an example of how Germany’s energy supply is being transformed, with work underway since 2017 and 2020 to dismantle the two nuclear power plant blocks. On a neighboring section of the energy park, the transmission system operator TransnetBW has built a large direct current substation. This so-called converter is part of the new ULTRANET direct current transmission line and will make wind power from northern Germany available in the southwest of the country. EnBW has now presented a project to the town’s municipal council for one of the largest battery storage systems in Germany to be built on the site, with an output of 400 megawatts and a capacity of 800 megawatt-hours. That is enough to meet the daily electricity needs of around 100,000 households. If a lot of electricity is available from renewable sources such as wind or solar energy, the storage system captures it from the grid. The electricity is then fed into the grid again when it is needed. This would make Philippsburg a central hub and storage location for electricity from renewable energies in Germany
“In the energy system of the future, the task of large-scale battery storage systems will be to reconcile two factors in the short term: The weather-dependent generation capacity of renewable energy sources on the one hand, and the actual electricity demand of households, businesses and industry on the other. Together with the hydrogen-ready gas power plants, which are also designed for longer periods of use, they provide the flexibility we need in the system,” explained Peter Heydecker, Board Member for Sustainable Generation Infrastructure at EnBW. “Philippsburg has been one of the most important energy locations in the whole of Germany for half a century – and our town is set to continue to play this outstanding role as an anchor point and huge storage facility for sustainable power generation,” said Stefan Martus, Mayor of Philippsburg.
The large-scale project is to be implemented without government funding. In addition to the revenue from the marketing of electricity, the storage system is expected to be financed by offering a range of services that are beneficial to the grid. The site’s existing grid connection and energy infrastructure make it ideally suited for the large-scale battery storage system. This continued use means the battery storage project is significantly easier to implement than would be the case if it were built at a completely new location. TransnetBW will be able to provide the grid connection with the corresponding capacity to store and release the energy sometime in mid-2027. The project is still at an early stage. The building permit and EnBW’s final investment decision are still pending. If everything continues to go smoothly, it is conceivable that it will be up and running by the end of 2027. The land on which the battery storage project is set to be built would be available at the energy park independently of the ongoing work to dismantle the nuclear power plant blocks.
“In the energy system of the future, the task of large-scale battery storage systems will be to reconcile two factors in the short term: The weather-dependent generation capacity of renewable energy sources on the one hand, and the actual electricity demand of households, businesses and industry on the other. Together with the hydrogen-ready gas power plants, which are also designed for longer periods of use, they provide the flexibility we need in the system,” explained Peter Heydecker, Board Member for Sustainable Generation Infrastructure at EnBW. “Philippsburg has been one of the most important energy locations in the whole of Germany for half a century – and our town is set to continue to play this outstanding role as an anchor point and huge storage facility for sustainable power generation,” said Stefan Martus, Mayor of Philippsburg.
The large-scale project is to be implemented without government funding. In addition to the revenue from the marketing of electricity, the storage system is expected to be financed by offering a range of services that are beneficial to the grid. The site’s existing grid connection and energy infrastructure make it ideally suited for the large-scale battery storage system. This continued use means the battery storage project is significantly easier to implement than would be the case if it were built at a completely new location. TransnetBW will be able to provide the grid connection with the corresponding capacity to store and release the energy sometime in mid-2027. The project is still at an early stage. The building permit and EnBW’s final investment decision are still pending. If everything continues to go smoothly, it is conceivable that it will be up and running by the end of 2027. The land on which the battery storage project is set to be built would be available at the energy park independently of the ongoing work to dismantle the nuclear power plant blocks.
