HAMBURG (dpa-AFX) - Encavis is entering the battery park business. A project ready for construction in Hettstedt in Saxony-Anhalt has been acquired, the group announced in Hamburg on Wednesday. The lithium-ion battery storage facility has an output of 12 megawatts and a capacity of 24 megawatt hours, it said. Encavis is thus expanding its portfolio, having previously only operated wind and solar farms. The project, which has now been acquired, is scheduled to go online in the first half of next year. According to the announcement, it can absorb electricity from all Encavis parks in Germany.

The use of intermediate storage extends the availability of renewable energy over time. The batteries are filled during periods of high supply and thus favorable electricity prices. Later, Encavis can then sell the stored electricity when prices are higher. Recently, no grid fees have been incurred when charging the batteries, which now makes the business economically attractive for operators like Encavis.

Battery farms can also be used to compensate for fluctuations in power generation from wind and sun: At times of day when consumption is low and generation is high, energy is fed into the storage facilities so that it can be released when demand is higher and generation is lower./lew/nas/mis