Centrica Energy to optimize Aukera Energy’s 340 MWh Belgian BESS

Centrica Energy, the energy trading and optimization business of UK-based renewables asset manager Centrica, signed a deal to provide optimization services for a 170 MW/340 MWh large-scale battery energy storage (BESS) under construction in Belgium.

The Project Volt battery is being built in La Louviere by Brussels-headquartered renewables developer Aukera Energy, which recently announced it reached financial close on the project.

Aukera’s partnership with Centrica is its second big announcement in a matter of days. Bozkurt Aydinoglu, chief commercial officer, Aukera, said his company and Centrica Energy would work together to ensure Project Volt would contribute to the stability of the Belgian grid.

Aukera has 810 MW in construction or operation across the UK, Belgium, Germany, Romania, and Italy. Project Volt is its first Belgian BESS, however.

Once it is operational, the BESS will be optimized through Centrica Energy’s established multi-market trading and optimization services, which will allow it to participate across day-ahead, intraday, the imbalance market, and ancillary services in Belgium.

Centrica Energy uses human traders’ industry experience for oversight as well as algorithmic and data-driven tools.

According to the company’s managing director, Cassim Mangerah, Centrica Energy’s agreement with Aukera Energy brings its managed BESS capacity across the Nordics, Belgium, and the UK “close to 1 GW.”

“The addition of this large-scale two-hour battery strengthens the role storage plays in balancing increasingly volatile power systems,” Mengerah added. “Our ability to underwrite agreements of this scale, alongside leading investors and technology partners, reflects both our optimization experience and our strength as a long-term bankable partner.”

Centrica Energy has more than 18.6 GW of renewable and flexible capacity under management.