Westnetz launches fast-track grid connection for co-located BESS in Germany

Westnetz has introduced a new flexible grid connection agreement for BESS co-located with solar or wind projects, allowing eligible projects to connect more quickly to the grid in Germany.

The agreement applies to grid-charged battery systems that share a grid connection with a renewable energy plant and can also store electricity generated on-site.

Under the arrangement, Westnetz will assess each project individually to determine the available connection capacity based on how the battery will operate. The company said the approach aims to make better use of existing grid capacity and connect more projects without requiring immediate network upgrades.

The agreement sets a permanent maximum export limit for the shared grid connection, with the combined output of the renewable generation asset and battery system not allowed to exceed that threshold.

Westnetz will also restrict battery operation according to local grid conditions. On days of high solar or wind generation, the battery’s export capacity may be reduced based on regional renewable generation forecasts to help avoid grid congestion and lower redispatch costs.

The company said it previously introduced a similar flexible connection agreement for batteries charged exclusively with renewable electricity and is evaluating comparable arrangements for other project configurations. Westnetz added that it has received grid connection requests totaling about 116 GW of battery storage capacity, compared with a peak load of around 12 GW across its network area in 2024.

From pv magazine Deutschland