“Europe's energy sector is changing dynamically, but a secure energy supply and network stability remain the cornerstones. Therefore, there is a growing demand for capacity to store energy reliably or, conversely, to deliver it quickly, as well as to provide support services. Our goal is to build 300 MW of storage by 2030 and we are working intensively on the first major projects. This is shown by the largest battery so far, in Vítkovice. We are preparing similar systems at other sites,” said Daniel Beneš, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of ČEZ.

Six 2.5 metre high battery containers with a total of 34 battery modules, three heat sinks and the same number of transformers. All this with the unique KORE Power battery solution, which has up to 20% higher capacity compared to existing battery systems and is serviced from the outside, thus having a higher capacity than existing types thanks to the complete filling of the internal space without an internal aisle. The jigsaw from which the largest battery system in the Czech Republic is being put together symbolically fits into the gradual transformation of the Energocentrum Vítkovice site for operation in the conditions of the modern energy sector. The major supplier of heat for industrial businesses, public administration and households in the Ostrava conurbation has had a new environmentally-friendly boiler room with three boilers and heat and power co-generation units since 2018.

“The decarbonisation of the Czech energy sector is an opportunity for green resources combined with smart solutions. This is exactly the connection we see in Vítkovice, where we have already modernised the operation of the power source and this year we will add the largest Czech battery. In addition to providing support services, the battery system here can, for example, cover the daily consumption of 1,300 households. For companies that want to have an insurance policy, ČEZ ESCO offers such turnkey solutions,” said Kamil Čermák, CEO of ČEZ ESCO. 

If It Gets Stored, It Counts

The large-capacity battery in Vítkovice will operate in conjunction with a conventional unit, which is a major regional energy supplier. Among its customers are, for example, Třinecké železárny, Vítkovice Holding, Vítkovice Hospital Ostrava and households from the surrounding area. In addition to traditional energy storage, the battery will enable the provision of various types of support services such as primary frequency control. In practice, the battery system starts to supply control energy within milliseconds when the grid frequency drops below 50 Hz and, on the contrary, it withdraws it from the grid when the frequency is above 50 Hz. The contractors are ČEZ Energetické služby from the ČEZ ESCO group and IBG Česko, which has already installed several successfully operating battery systems in the Czech Republic. The operator will be ČEZ ENERGO - also from the ČEZ ESCO group.

The ČEZ Group focuses on energy storage in a comprehensive manner, including activities in the segment of public fast-charging stations for electric vehicles, in industrial businesses, for small and medium enterprises and in households. Since 2019, it has been operating a 2.8 MWh storage system at the Tušimice power plant site. Additional battery systems are planned and under development on the sites of other conventional power plants. They would again be used mainly for the provision of support services. In addition to new batteries, there will also be assemblies from previously used batteries - second-life batteries. These activities gain a European dimension thanks to the Czech Republic’s membership of the European MARI and PICASSO platforms for the cross-border exchange of regulatory energy. 

Top 5 Largest ČEZ Storage Capacities in the Czech Republic