A new energy storage facility was inaugurated in Saint-Avold, Moselle. With a capacity of 44 Megawatt-hour (MWh), this infrastructure, described as the “fourth largest” in France, aims to support the balance of the electrical grid while facilitating the integration of renewable energy sources.
Comprising 24 containers housing 155,000 battery cells, this installation enables the storage of energy generated mainly by photovoltaic and wind installations. “The objective is to release this energy when demand is high,” explained Arnaud Boutin, project director at GazelEnergie, one of the companies leading the project.
A project geared toward the energy transition
Electricity storage is seen as a vital solution to offset the intermittency of renewable energy, a significant challenge in the energy transition. Corentin Sivy, development director at Q Energy, emphasized that this project marks “the beginning of a new era for controllable renewable energy.”
The Saint-Avold site will, in 18 months, host a second storage facility with a capacity of 65 MWh, bringing the total storage capacity to over 100 MWh. This expansion represents an additional investment of 30 million euros, raising the total site investment to 50 million euros.
A historic site undergoing transformation
The battery containers are installed near the Emile-Huchet coal power plant, which was brought back online in early November to meet winter electricity demand. However, the future of this coal plant remains uncertain.
Frédéric Faroche, president of GazelEnergie, announced the submission of a file last September to convert the plant to biogas, a move that could represent a 100-million-euro investment and transform the site into an eco-energy platform. “This project embodies our ambition to invest in France and save local jobs,” he stated.
The Emile-Huchet plant, which directly employs about 100 people and generates approximately 400 indirect jobs, stands as a symbol of the economic and environmental challenges tied to the energy transition.
