Sweden switches on largest battery energy storage system in the Nordics

14 large-scale battery storage systems (BESS) have come online in Sweden to deploy 211 MW / 211 MWh into the region.

Developer and optimiser Ingrid Capacity and energy storage owner-operator BW ESS have been working in partnership to deliver 14 large-scale BESS projects throughout Sweden’s grid, situated in electricity price areas SE3 and SE4.

The connection to the grid was overseen at the time by the Swedish minister for climate and the environment, Romina Pourmokhtari. Among her comments at the ceremony, Pourmokhtari said:

“It is a great honor to inaugurate the largest energy storage investment in the Nordics, with 211 MW now connected to the power grid.

“Thanks to the efforts of Ingrid Capacity and BW ESS, we are reducing grid congestion and enabling increased power production.”

Axel Holmberg, CEO at Ingrid Capacity, said, “Flexibility solutions, such as large-scale battery storage, have proven to be both a cost-effective and scalable solution. It reduces societal costs while creating opportunities for industrial development and electrification, which is essential for Sweden’s future competitiveness and the green transition.”

Ingrid’s on-grid activities

Ingrid Capacity develops BESS projects and while selling projects to long-term owners, usually retains a stake in the project. Once commissioned and online, Ingird operates the system on the electricity market and monetizes the asset.

Ingrid is also developing projects with an arm of SEB Nordic Energy, Locus Energy, to develop 196 MW of BESS, also in the SE3 and SE4 areas in Sweden.

For Ingrid, the aim is to co-own more than 400 MW/400 MWh of flexible dispatch assets in Sweden, while expanding into further Europe as well, with a total development pipeline of 6+ GW claimed.

Biggest?

The title of ‘biggest in the Nordics’ is a fun one to aim at for ESS companies. And deciding which project is biggest can depend on the definition.

For example, Neoen claimed it would hold the record in January, when it announced a 93.9 MW / 93.9 MWh project in Sweden at the Isbillen Power Reserve, on January 30.

In March, a project at the Boden Industrial Park, between Bodens Energi, Vattenfall and Polar Structure, was announced, as a 50 MW / 100 MWh build-out, thereby claiming the record in terms of announced projects.

But neither were built and energized by the time RES switched on the Elektra Energy Storage Project, a 20 MW / 20 MWh project, called Sweden’s largest battery storage project at the time, in late April.

And the claim by Ingrid Capacity depends on how you see things.

The asset is broadly composed of 14 projects across Sweden, including Falköping (16 MW), Karlskrona (16 MW), Katrineholm (20 MW), Mjölby (8 MW), Sandviken (20 MW), Vaggeryd (11 MW), Värnamo (20 MW) and Västerås (11 MW). Six others contribute 89 MW.

The image on the left shows a map from Ingrid Capacity.