Neoen breaks ground on its first German battery storage project

In December 2024, French renewables developer Neoen started construction of its first asset in Germany – the Arneburg Battery located near Arneburg, in the state of Saxony-Anhalt.

The 45 MW/90 MWh BESS project is delivered in partnership with storage system integrator Nidec. It is set to be operational in 2026. In line with its model, Neoen owns 100% of Arneburg Battery and will be the operator of the energy storage facility.

Arneburg Battery will provide the grid with both intraday power trading and balancing services, enhancing power system stability and facilitating the integration of renewable energy.

Neoen’s strategy is to leverage its expertise in developing and operating large-scale BESS projects to expand into Germany.

Since 2017, Neoen has built a global storage portfolio in operation or under construction which currently sits at 2,3 GW / 5,3 GWh. This includes some of the largest batteries in the world, such as the 270 MW / 540 MWh Western Downs Battery or the 560 MW / 2,240 MWh Collie Battery in Australia, as well as several batteries in Europe, including Isbillen Power Reserve (93.9 MW / 93.9 MWh) in Sweden and Yllikkälä Power Reserve One and Two (86.4 MW / 142.9 MWh together) in Finland.

In Germany, Neoen has been actively developing multiple storage projects since 2023 and has already built up a portfolio of projects exceeding 1 GW.

“Starting construction of the Arneburg Battery is a major step in our commitment to supporting Germany’s shift toward clean, reliable energy solutions. We are particularly grateful for the support from the county, municipality and grid operator of Arneburg in getting this project off the ground. Arneburg is paving the way for Neoen’s future in Germany, where we have high ambitions and multiple projects under development,” said Andrés Marx, Managing Director of Neoen Germany.

In December 2024, Canadian asset manager Brookfield Asset Management finalized the acqusition of a 53.12% stake in Neoen in a deal that valued the French firm at EUR 6.1 billion ($6.26 billion). 

Brookfield and partners acquired the controlling stake in the French developer EUR 39.85 a share only weeks after the sale of Neoen’s renewable energy portfolio in Australia’s state of Victoria to real estate investor HMC Capital. Upon the takeover, the Canadian asset manager confirmed plans to open a tender offer for the rest of the stock at the same price, with a view to taking the firm private.