RWE completes 14.7-MWp Dutch solar park and Irish battery

German energy company RWE AG (ETR:RWE) today announced the commissioning of the 14.7-MWp Kerkrade solar park in the Netherlands, its first ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV) project in the country.

On Wednesday, the company said that RWE Renewables' first European battery storage project, with a capacity of 8.5 MWh, has also started full operations, in Ireland.

The Dutch solar park is located in the province of Limburg and will generate enough electricity to meet the annual needs of about 4,000 local households. By the end of 2021, RWE will also complete a 6.1-MW floating PV project on a lake near its Amer biomass and hard coal power plant in Geertruidenberg, and a 2.3-MWp ground-mounted project on the site of the Amer plant. These will increase the firm's solar capacity in the Netherlands to 23.1 MWp.

The company also expects this year to commission 115 MW of wind capacity across four projects that are currently under construction. Currently, it operates seven onshore wind farms in the Netherlands with a total capacity of 268 MW. RWE said it is looking at opportunities to develop more solar projects near its own wind farms.

The Irish storage project is located in Stephenstown, Balbriggan, in County Dublin and will provide grid balancing services, supporting the expansion of intermittent renewables.

Cathal Hennessy, country chair, RWE Renewables Ireland, said that being committed to renewable energies and providing dedicated support for battery storage, Ireland is a good starting point for expanding RWE Renewables' battery storage technology business.

In Ireland, the company has this year filed a planning application for the 62-MW Lyre wind farm on the borders of County Cork and in partnership with Saorgus Energy is developing the up-to-900-MW Dublin Array offshore wind farm. It is also developing new solar and battery projects, including the Lisdrumdoagh storage facility.

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