Green Flexibility starts construction of 80 MWh battery at “feed-in socket”

Available grid connection capacities are scarce, many developers of photovoltaic plants and energy storage projects are frustrated, and the majority of grid operators are overwhelmed. This is a recurring theme, as the results of a recent industry survey by the German Solar Industry Association demonstrate. Therefore, new concepts are needed, and one of these is the “feed-in socket,” which LEW Verteilnetz is currently testing.

The distribution system operator has committed to connecting three storage facilities, three photovoltaic systems, and a wind farm with a total output of 126 MW to an 80 MW grid connection in Balzhausen, southern Germany. The mix of different technologies will allow for a 60% increase in grid connection capacity.

Green Flexibility is building one of the storage facilities under this initiative. The 40 MW/80 MWh project is scheduled to go into operation in early 2026, as the company announced at the groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday. Green Flexibility estimates the investment at around €40 million. The official commissioning of the “feed-in socket” is already planned for next month.

The project involves grid-neutral integration of the battery storage system. This means that LEW Verteilnetz can temporarily reduce the storage system’s feed-in power in certain grid situations to prevent bottlenecks in the grid.

“With the start of construction work in Balzhausen, we are demonstrating how quickly innovative concepts can be implemented in practice. Grid operators and storage operators are working hand in hand here – a model that serves as a role model for the further expansion of battery storage in Germany,” says Christoph Lienert, co-founder and managing director of Green Flexibility.

LEW Verteilnetz is also pleased with the rapid progress of the project. “The energy transition needs speed – this is precisely demonstrated by our ‘Feed-in Socket’ pilot project, which has created additional grid connection capacity in a very short time,” says Barbara Plura, asset manager and technical grid planner at LEW Verteilnetz. “The fact that Green Flexibility, as one of the connection users for the feed-in socket, is keeping up with this pace underscores our practical and solution-oriented collaboration.”

From pv magazine Germany