The 44 MWh energy storage project will be installed on the Emile Huchet power plant site in the northeast of France. Once commissioned, it will be one of the largest facilities in the country. Q ENERGY is currently driving a development pipeline of more than 1 GW of energy storage projects across Europe.

Avignon/Berlin. Q ENERGY today announced the construction start of the “Merbette” energy storage project on the Emile Huchet power plant site in the French town of Saint-Avold. It is part of an ongoing green transformation of the historically fossil-fuelled site by the owner GazelEnergie. With a size of 35 MW and an energy capacity of 44 MWh the battery system will store an equivalent to the daily electricity consumption of around 10,000 people.

Comprising 24 latest-generation battery containers, this project is emblematic of the deployment of the energy storage sector. It will not only help to facilitate the integration of renewable energies into the electricity system but also add to decarbonizing the energy mix. In the medium term, it will also be a valuable element to stabilise the grid and reduce the volatility of electricity prices.

+1 GW development pipeline of BESS projects across Europe

Stand-alone battery energy storage systems (BESS) or hybrid power plants are important elements for the energy transition and a necessity for grid operators, utilities and consumers alike. The integration of BESS in wind and solar projects is therefore one of Q ENERGY's strategic growth areas. 

Sang Chull Chung, CEO of Q ENERGY, explains: 
"Merbette is the first of many upcoming energy storage projects that Q ENERGY is preparing. We are currently driving a development pipeline of more than 1 GW of ESS projects across Europe. 400 MW of these will be located in France alone."

KeyFacts Renewable Energy Directory: Q ENERGY