Estonian energy company, Eesti Energia will build its first large-scale storage device at the Auvere industrial complex later this year to balance the fluctuations in electricity prices caused by the growth in renewable energy production and to support the stability of the electrical system.
The storage facility will be operational by the beginning of 2025, at the same time as the Baltic countries are disconnected from the Russian electricity grid.
The international procurement organised by the energy company was won by the joint tender of Diotech and Solar Wheel, with LG Energy Solution supplying the battery technology. The capacity of the new storage device will be 26.5 megawatts (MW) and 53.1 megawatt-hours (MWh). This is a pilot project to make sure the solution is suitable both in Estonia and the company’s other retail markets.
According to Kristjan Kuhi, Member of the Management Board of Eesti Energia, the key to a fast and affordable green transition that ensures self-sufficiency in energy is electrification based on renewable energy, in which energy storage plays a major part.
“The quickest way to ensure affordable electricity for consumers and the independence of the Estonian energy system is to switch to renewable energy as soon as possible,” Mr Kuhi said. “Since the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine all the time, energy needs to be stored. One solution for storing renewable energy is using large-scale energy storage devices. With such solutions, we could prevent the extremely high electricity prices as we experienced recently. Sufficient storage capacity helps ensure affordable electricity prices, the reliability of the energy system and a more efficient use of renewable energy.”
The storage device’s location in the Auvere industrial complex will increase its competitiveness, enable more efficient energy production and increase the use of renewable energy in the complex.
The capacity of the new system corresponds to a 2-hour consumption of about 75,000 households.