100 million euros for the first LichtBlick large-scale battery storage facility

The energy company LichtBlick has begun construction of its first large-scale battery storage facility. Over the next 18 months, a facility with a capacity of around 100 megawatts and a storage depth of four hours will be built in Röhrsdorf near Chemnitz in Saxony. This makes the project one of the largest storage facilities in the grid area of the distribution grid operator MITNETZ Strom.

The total investment amounts to 100 million euros. At the heart of the project are 84 battery storage containers from technology partner Fluence, each with a capacity of up to 5.6 megawatt hours.

A key component for the energy system of the future

LichtBlick sees large-scale battery storage systems as a decisive factor for the stability and flexibility of electricity grids.

Large-scale battery storage systems are a key component for the energy system of tomorrow. With our first project, we are making a direct contribution to grid stability and driving forward the expansion of decentralized flexibility capacities in a targeted manner.

Dr. Enno Wolf, COO of LichtBlick

Thanks to the four-hour storage depth, the plant can absorb electricity from renewable energies in a targeted manner and release it again when required. This is an important step towards avoiding peak loads in the grid and facilitating the integration of wind and solar power.

Technology partnership with Fluence

LichtBlick is working with the global energy storage specialist Fluence Energy to implement the technology. Their battery technology is at the heart of the project.

The project in Röhrsdorf shows how innovative large-scale battery storage systems can strengthen security of supply and flexibility in the energy system. It is a model for other projects in Germany and Europe.

Markus Meyer, Managing Director of Fluence Energy GmbH

The grid operator MITNETZ Strom also welcomes the construction of the facility. Steffen Zerge, Head of the South Saxony grid region, emphasizes:"Powerful energy storage systems are a booster for the energy transition. By connecting to our high-voltage grid, we are making an important contribution to the success of this project."

Eneco takes over energy trading and marketing

The contractual partner and marketing unit for the project is Eneco Energy Trade, the trading arm of the Dutch LichtBlick parent company Eneco. The company is already the market leader in flexibility and battery trading in Belgium and the Netherlands, where it manages over 950 megawatts of contracted battery capacity.

"We need large amounts of flexible capacity for the energy transition. I am therefore incredibly proud that we are realizing this battery storage facility in Röhrsdorf," says Kees-Jan Rameau, CEO of Eneco and Chairman of the Board of Directors of LichtBlick."This project stabilizes the grid and enables better use of sustainably generated energy - to the benefit of the entire region and Germany as a whole."

The city of Chemnitz also sees the investment as an important building block for the regional energy transition. Mayor Knut Kunze from the Department of Law, Safety and Environmental Protection explains:"The expansion of renewable energies is the basis for climate neutrality, which we want to achieve by 2040. This also includes the construction of storage facilities to make optimum use of green energy. We therefore expressly welcome the construction of the large-scale battery storage facility."

Commissioning planned for early 2027

The large-scale battery storage facility is scheduled to be commissioned in the first quarter of 2027. The project was developed to construction maturity by Munich-based ENERGISTO eG, with which LichtBlick founded the GigaCharge joint venture in 2024. This joint venture is to realize further large-scale battery storage projects in Germany and Europe in the future.

With the construction in Röhrsdorf, LichtBlick is taking a major step forward in expanding its position as a provider of sustainable energy and flexibility solutions. The start of construction in Röhrsdorf marks LichtBlick's entry into the large-scale storage market, with one of the largest facilities in Germany and strong technology partners.