Eandis tests energy storage at solar-facilities
Belgium's national electricity grid operator, Eandis, is to install a battery storage system at one of its solar power facilities in the Flanders region. The utility company has a 375 kW rooftop PV installation at its logistical centre in Lokeren, which will be fitted with a 140 kW battery provided by Dutch storage specialist company Alfen, who will also provide remote management services for the system. Eandis says that similar storage solutions could be installed at its other solar power facilities across the country in future.
Netherlands-based energy solutions provider, Alfen has announced it will provide Belgian grid operator, Eandis with its ‘TheBattery’ storage solution, which will be used to optimize the self-consumption of a 375 kW rooftop PV system installed at the company’s logistical center in Lokeren, in the Belgian region of Flanders.

Alfen said it will provide the 140 kW battery container, as well as undertaking the remote management and control of the system.

Eandis said it operates more solar power systems at its Belgian facilities in Melle, Sint-Niklaas, Deurne, Erembodegem, Turnhout and Mechelen, and that similar storage solutions may be adopted for these sites in the future.

“As an energy distribution company we also want to learn about energy storage systems, which will certainly play a key role in the energy landscape of the future. That is why we are going to use this storage installation as a mini-testing ground for a series of technical studies on smart control or the impact of batteries on the local medium-voltage grid,” said Eandis’ director of grid management, Jean Pierre Hollevoet.

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According to Alfen, its “TheBattery” solution consists of a large-scale modular battery container, which comes as a plug & play standardized unit, manufactured, preconfigured, commissioned and tested in Alfen’s production facilities.

Eandis covers around 80% of all grid connections in Flanders. The company was invited in January by the Flemish minister of energy, Bart Tommelein to take part to a plan to introduce a virtual net metering scheme for solar PV energy.