EDF power solutions commissioned its first battery energy storage system (BESS) facility in Poland which is also the largest in the country with a 50MW (120MWh) capacity.
Located in the city of Stary Grodków, in the south of Poland, the project has secured a 17-year capacity contract with the Polish transmission system operator. The Stary Grodków battery consists of 24 containerized storage modules along with the associated electrical infrastructure, including a transformer station and a connection to the 110kV grid.
The commissioning of the Stary Grodków facility is part of EDF power solutions’ strategy to develop energy storage projects in Poland. The company is currently developing several battery projects for a total capacity of 370MW. They will provide more flexibility to the grid system and ease the integration of new renewable energy assets in the frame of the decarbonization of the polish electricity mix.
EDF power solutions has been operating in Poland for 14 years and operates today five onshore wind farms in addition to its battery storage facilities. EDF power solutions develops low carbon power plants to support the energy transition while strengthening the electrical system with storage solutions.
Alicja Chilińska-Zawadzka, CEO of EDF power solutions Polska said: “Commissioning our first energy storage facility in Poland marks an important milestone in the development of EDF power solutions in the country. Energy storage will play a crucial role in the energy transition by increasing the flexibility and stability of the grid.”
Miłosz Motyka, Minister of Energy of Poland said: “Energy storage systems are one of the most important elements in building a modern energy system in Poland. Investments such as the one commissioned in Stary Grodków increase the stability of the power grid. PGE (Polska Grupa Energetyczna) alone plans to develop more than 80 battery energy storage facilities with a total capacity exceeding 10,000 MWh, to be located next to existing power substations across Poland. This is a very important element of Poland’s energy transition.”