RWE has confirmed the final investment decision to build a 400 MW, 1,100 MWh battery storage system at its Moerdijk power plant in the Dutch province of North Brabant. The facility is scheduled to enter service during the second quarter of 2028.
The project will have the capacity to deliver its maximum power for approximately three hours. According to company estimates, this energy could cover the peak evening demand of about 500,000 households.
RWE battery to feature 208 lithium-ion containers
Specifically, the system will consist of 208 containers with lithium-ion batteries. The facility will utilize existing energy infrastructure in Moerdijk and connect to the national grid via the plant’s substation.
Additionally, the battery will be located near the Moerdijk-Noord high-voltage substation. This location will allow the storage system to be used as a tool to reduce the congestion issues affecting the North Brabant power grid.
The system will also be able to absorb surplus electricity from the grid within seconds. This way, RWE can store energy when there is high availability and feed it back into the system when demand increases.
TenneT to use storage to reduce congestion
For its part, RWE will work with transmission system operator TenneT through capacity management agreements. Under this scheme, the battery can be activated when it is necessary to free up capacity at specific points in the regional grid.
The measure is significant because several areas of the Netherlands face capacity limitations for connecting new generation or increasing electricity consumption.
Thus, the Moerdijk battery will function as a flexible resource. When congestion occurs, it can rapidly modify its charging and discharging cycles to help balance the system.
TenneT and regional operator Enexis will analyze the project’s impact over the coming months. The results will be considered in the review of the congestion management study scheduled for December 2026.
Moerdijk to also provide advanced grid services
In addition to storing electricity, the new system will be prepared to provide technical services such as instant reserve or inertia.
RWE already operates a 7.5 MW, 11 MWh synthetic inertia battery in Moerdijk. The new facility will significantly expand the storage capacity available at the site.
The German multinational also has a 35 MW, 41 MWh battery in the Netherlands at the Eemshaven power plant.
Internationally, RWE operates approximately 1.7 GW of battery storage systems and has another 3 GW under construction.
400 MW battery to support OranjeWind offshore wind farm
In this context, the Moerdijk storage system will be linked to the integration strategy for the OranjeWind offshore wind project.
The 795 MW wind farm, developed by RWE and TotalEnergies off the Dutch coast, aims to combine offshore wind generation with flexible onshore assets.
When OranjeWind generates more electricity than the system can use at that moment, the batteries can store part of the surplus. Subsequently, that energy can return to the grid when generation conditions change or demand increases.
In this way, storage will help reduce the gap between the wind farm’s variable production and the needs of the power system.
RWE also considers technologies such as electrolysis, electric boilers, and smart charging within its flexibility strategy. The 400 MW Moerdijk battery will be one of the primary assets responsible for adjusting renewable generation, demand, and available capacity in the Dutch grid.
Source: RWE
Photo: Shutterstock
