Vattenfall to plug in Germany's largest heat storage system in 2023

Swedish utility Vattenfall AB is building a 200-MW thermal storage facility tied to a power-to-heat plant in Berlin which is set to come into operation next April.

Located at Vattenfall's Reuter West site, the power-to-heat plant will convert excess wind or solar energy into heat which will be temporarily stored in a hot-water tank.

The 45-metre high heat storage tower has a capacity of 56 million litres and is going to be filled with water in the coming months before coming online next spring. It will store district heating water at 98 degrees Celsius.

Starting in July, it will take about two months to fill the tank. After the process is completed, Vattenfall will launch the first test activities.

With a thermal capacity of 200 MW, the storage facility will be capable of providing heat for 13 hours, even in very cold weather, said Vattenfall Waerme Berlin's chief executive Tanja Wielgoss.

The project, featuring Germany's largest heat storage system, will support the heat and energy transition in the country and will enable the use of excess renewable energy from the power grid.

The plant is an important step to provide more flexibility in Berlin's heat supply and make it more climate-friendly and independent, according to Wielgoss.

Vattenfall Waerme Berlin supplies heat to about one-third of the buildings in the German capital. The Swedish utility seeks to become climate neutral by 2040 and the decarbonisation of heat supply plays a major role in its plan.

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