Large-Scale Battery Energy Storage System to be built near Alcoutim in Portugal
Global energy storage platform provider Powin LLC and Galp, Portugal’s leading integrated energy company, have partnered to install a utility-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) at one of Galp’s solar power plants near Alcoutim, a small village in the country’s sunny southern region of the Algarve, where Galp operates several projects with a combined capacity of 144 MW.
This 5MW/20MWh battery system is Galp’s first move in the hybridization of its solar power production portfolio – which is one of Iberia’s biggest at close to 1.5 GW in operation. The batteries will allow Galp to store the solar energy produced in periods of high generation, and to deploy it during periods of high demand, maximizing the energy’s value.
Alcoutim is Powin’s inaugural project in Europe, which is poised to be a pivotal growth market for energy storage. This project and partnership, combined with Powin’s recently opened office location in Madrid, Spain, showcase the company’s commitment to support Europe’s energy transition goals.
“This particular project with Galp is bigger than its MW impact – it is the beginning of a new partnership and is Powin’s first project in Europe following the opening of our Madrid office. Europe is expected to deploy over 90 GWh of utility-scale battery energy storage projects by 2030, and we are well positioned to support this demand along with the wider EMEA region’s rapid energy storage growth,” said Powin CEO, Jeff Waters.
“As Galp keeps growing its renewable energy capacity aiming to transform its industrial base to produce green fuels and sell renewable energy to its clients, storage solutions are key to ensure a steady supply of electrons to our businesses,” said Georgios Papadimitriou, Galp’s executive director in charge of Renewables, New Business, and Innovation. “Batteries also add to the competitiveness of our renewable energy portfolio by making solar and wind power available when they are most needed,” he added.
As part of its transformation drive, Galp has taken the final investment decision and started construction works to build one of Europe’s largest electrolysers to produce green hydrogen, and a 270 ktpa advanced biofuels unit.
It has also been expanding its electric vehicle charging network, which is already Portugal’s largest. All these endeavours call for an increased supply of green electrons.
