On 16 June, RWE's first inertia-ready Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) officially commenced commercial operations at its power plant site in Moerdijk, the Netherlands. It marks the first system of its kind in operation within the Central European grid.
The BESS has a power capacity of 7.5 megawatts (MW) and an energy capacity of 11 megawatt-hours (MWh). Utilizing highly responsive control technology and grid-forming inverters, the system can inject or absorb power within milliseconds, providing critical grid stabilization known as inertia.
Maintaining grid stability is becoming increasingly challenging as the share of power generated from renewable but intermittent sources grows. Inertia plays a vital role in this process, acting as the fastest balancing energy source available on the grid. Historically, inertia was primarily provided by the rotating mass of turbines, such as those in coal-fired power plants.
Nikolaus Valerius, CEO of RWE Generation SE, stated: "Our latest power plant in Moerdijk demonstrates that ultra-fast battery storage systems can provide grid services – inertia – that were once delivered exclusively by conventional power plants. As large-scale fossil-fuel power plants are progressively phased out, we will need more and more systems like this to stabilize the grid."
The Moerdijk BESS is part of the OranjeWind project. This offshore wind project is being jointly developed by RWE and its partner TotalEnergies near the Dutch coast. Utilizing advanced lithium iron phosphate (LFP) technology combined with ultra-fast inverters, this power plant serves as a blueprint for RWE's plans to significantly expand its global BESS capacity.
Alongside commercial operations, the Moerdijk plant is undergoing a two-year pilot phase aimed at establishing standards for future inertia-capable BESS. RWE will leverage the experience gained during this phase to work with transmission system operator TenneT in defining technical requirements and grid compliance procedures for the plant's grid-forming characteristics.