RWE has started construction of its first battery energy storage system (BESS) in Italy. The 62.5 MW, 250 MWh Ragusa battery, located in Sicily, will consist of 42 containers with lithium-ion batteries, and will be able to deliver its maximum output for 4 hours. Commissioning is scheduled for the end of 2027.
Ragusa battery will provide balancing energy to stabilise the electricity grid. It also features the technology necessary to provide new grid forming services such as instantaneous reserve (inertia). In addition to the batteries, RWE will build the associated grid infrastructure. This includes a high-voltage transformer to connect to the 150-kV grid.
Globally, RWE operates battery storage systems with a total capacity of around 1.7 GW with 3 GW under construction. The company plans to significantly expand its battery storage capacities worldwide.
RWE is already a key player in the Italian renewables market. It takes an integrated project approach that incorporates the development, construction and operation as well as the marketing of wind farms and solar plants. With 18 onshore wind farms, one photovoltaic plant and three agrivoltaic plants in operation, RWE currently manages a total installed capacity of approximately 670 MW in Italy, with around 200 MW of further wind and solar capacity under construction in the country.
