Polaris Energy Storage Network learned that foreign media reported that the German operator Preussenelektra plans to rebuild energy storage facilities at the site of the decommissioned nuclear power plant, and the energy storage project will be constructed in two phases, with a total scale of 800MW and 1600MWh after completion, and become the largest battery energy storage project in Europe.
According to reports, the Brokdorf nuclear power plant (Brokdorf), located in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, has an installed capacity of 1,410MW and was commissioned in 1986. With an average annual power generation of about 11 billion kWh, it has been ranked among the top 10 in the world 21 times, the top 3 for 12 times, and has become a "world champion power station" twice.
Following Germany's decision in 2011 to accelerate the phase-out of nuclear power, the plant was decommissioned and ceased commercial operation on December 31, 2021.
Operator Preussenelektra has an initial plan to build and operate a 100MW 200MWh battery storage project near the plant in 2026, with the second phase adding 700MW of capacity on a site 12 hectares from the plant, bringing the capacity to 800MW to 1,600MWh when completed, making it the largest battery storage project in Europe. The battery storage project, which is expected to cost 500 million euros, will be run by Preussenelektra in partnership with parent company Eon cooperation and will not seek public funding.
The nuclear power plant's location is ideal and is an important step in resolving the current grid tensions in the region. Because Schleswig-Holstein is a wind power cluster, Preussenelektra wants to buy wind power at peak times and sell it back to the grid when it falls. The company will also access renewable energy from abroad and participate in the market through Nordlink, a submarine cable connecting Norway and Germany.
Preussenelektra hopes to bring the entire project online in 2036, but is awaiting authorization to begin dismantling the decommissioned reactor. Officials said that the local ** is expected to issue a draft permit for partial demolition work in the summer of 2024 and allow Preussenelektra to initiate planning and issue bids.
In addition, the operating company also mentioned that the energy storage project will retain a portion of the plant's 260 employees, and local ** has expressed support for the project.