(Wiesbaden, 12 June 2023) ABO Wind and TRICERA energy are jointly constructing three battery storage projects in Germany. The total capacity of the batteries amounts to more than 25 megawatt hours. They will be commissioned in the course of 2023 in combination with photovoltaic plants with an installed total capacity of 20.4 megawatt peak (MWp). The solar farms are located in the municipalities of Weichenried (Bavaria), Euskirchen Wüschheim (North Rhine-Westphalia) and Wald-Michelbach (Hesse). ABO Wind had secured tariffs in innovation tenders from the Federal Network Agency for all three hybrid projects combining photovoltaics and battery storage to ensure economic operations.
The special feature of the battery storage is that it only comprises modules from the automotive sector. TRICERA energy has developed special technical solutions for this purpose. These enable the efficient electro-technical and control integration of different battery modules. The batteries are placed in eight 20-foot containers.
"The automotive sector, as a key user of lithium-ion batteries, will drive the development of high-quality battery packs in the next decade," says Dr Julia Badeda, Division Manager for Hybrid Energy Systems and Storage at ABO Wind. "With these projects, we are gaining valuable experience as a developer of stationary storage systems for the large-scale application of automotive packs in first- or second-life."
"With the concept pursued in this project, we are creating sustainability in several dimensions," says Dr Tim Müller, Managing Director of TRICERA energy. "By installing battery storage systems, we enable the expansion of further renewable energy plants and thus the success of the energy transition. At the same time, we are preparing for the time when used batteries from electric vehicles can be reused on a large scale. With our concept, we will extend the life cycle of the batteries and increase their added value. In addition, we gain time and only recycle the batteries when the corresponding recycling processes are fully developed. This significantly improves the recovery of the raw materials used."
