Energy storage developer Return has begun construction of a 100MW battery energy storage system (BESS) in Waddinxveen, in the Netherlands.
The 200MWh Antares plant will become operational in mid-2026 and will make an important contribution to grid stability, reduction of grid congestion and integration of renewable energy sources.
The total investment amounts to €85m, of which ING is responsible for the largest part.
Meewind and the National Green Fund provide additional financing.
Alfen and SPIE Nederland are responsible for the technical realisation.
Vattenfall is one of the customers and will integrate 50MW/100MW of the BESS park into its portfolio.
The battery will be connected to Tennet’s high-voltage grid in the area.
“Flexible storage systems are becoming increasingly indispensable for a stable, fossil-free and efficient energy supply.
“Large-scale battery systems serve the energy transition and play their part in realising our goal of enabling of fossil freedom,” said Honey Duan, manager of external battery storage systems at Vattenfall.
Willem-Jan Schutte, CEO of Return, said: “With Antares, we are demonstrating how smart, flexible storage solutions can harness the full potential of renewable energy while ensuring grid stability.
“Battery storage projects, such as Antares, are essential to keep the Dutch power grid stable,” added Laurens de Vos, Head of Business Banking at ING Netherlands.
“They give grid operators more room to further open up the grid to the electrification of sustainable initiatives and companies.
“This project shows how ING Business Banking contributes to the energy transition by investing in the energy system of the future,” de Vos said.
Return has a pipeline of 7GW in Europe and a target to achieve at least 3GW of energy storage capacity by 2030.
Vattenfall aims to place up to 1.5GW of external large-scale battery capacity on the electricity market in north-west Europe in the coming years.