Luminus to build large battery park in Ghent

Energy provider Luminus, a subsidiary of the French EDF, intends to build a giant battery park on its site in Ghent. On Friday, the company announced it has submitted a permit application for a battery project with a storage capacity of 400 megawatt hours and a capacity of 100 megawatts. That should be sufficient for the daily consumption of 42,000 families.

The new battery project will replace the two to six gas turbines Luminus initially wanted to build. These extra gas turbines had to allow for quick switching on and off and thus keep the grid in balance.

Peaks and shortages

The announced park is Luminus’s second major battery project, in addition to the plans along the Maas in Lixhe in Liège. The existing gas power plant on the Ringvaart will remain in operation.

Energy companies increasingly focus on batteries as a solution for the growing wind and solar energy. The batteries must provide the necessary flexibility to the power grid to absorb peaks and shortages due to the growth of renewable energy. Battery parks allow energy to be stocked when consumption is low.

Competitors

Engie is building one of Europe’s largest battery parks in Vilvoorde. These gas-fired power stations remain necessary to produce electricity with little sun and wind. In May 2023, the French petroleum giant TotalEneries announced building a large battery park next to its Antwerp refinery. The Antwerp installation would be the largest in Europe and should be ready by the end of 2024.

Luminus is the second largest electricity producer and energy supplier in the Belgian energy market. The company intends to put the Ghent battery park into service by the end of 2026.