RWE invests in 400MW battery storage project in northern Germany

German energy company RWE has announced it will invest in the construction of a 400MW battery energy storage system in Lingen, Lower Saxony, Germany.

It will be situated northeast of the Emsland gas-fired power plant on the former site of the Dralon acrylic fibre factory

According to RWE, the battery park will consist of more than 200 lithium-ion battery units, more than 100 inverters, over 50 medium-voltage and two high-voltage transformers, as well as two switch panels complete the facility.

It will be connected to the electricity grid via the Hilgenberg substation, which is being built by Amprion less than 50 metres away.

The facility, expected to be operational in 2028, will deliver a maximum output of 800MWh for at least two hours, providing an important source of grid balancing.

RWE states that the project will also feature the technology necessary to provide inertia.

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Nikolaus Valerius, CEO of RWE Generation SE, commented in a statement: “Our new battery storage facility in Lingen will absorb or feed in power within a few milliseconds, depending on demand. It will thus make an important contribution to grid stability and reliable electricity prices.”

Valerius highlights the complementary nature of battery storage and gas-fired power plants in terms of providing firm capacity, stating: “While gas-fired power plants step in when wind and solar power fail to supply energy for hours or days, battery facilities primarily bridge short-term gaps or periods of peak load.”

As all the permits have been obtained, construction can begin once the site has been fully cleared.

At the end of the third quarter of 2025, RWE operated battery storage systems with a total capacity of around 1.2GW. More than 2.7GW is currently under construction.