Croatian IE-Energy, Slovenia’s NGEN plan virtual network of smart battery storage systems

Croatian firm IE-Energy and Slovenia’s NGEN are developing a battery system for smart energy storage, with a total operating power of 60 MW and a capacity of 120 MWh. The project, valued at 60 million, marks the first step toward creating a virtual network of battery storage systems that would connect producers and consumers of renewable energy.

The project has received a EUR 19.8 million grant from the European Union’s Modernization Fund. The funds are intended for the second and crucial phase of the project, for 50 MW, while the first phase, of 10 MW, is already in an advanced stage of implementation, Croatia’s Ministry of Economy stated following the signing of the subsidy contract.

The project, located in the Croatian city of Šibenik, is expected to be completed as early as next year, according to the statement.

IE-Energy CEO Željko Šmitran told Balkan Green Energy News it would be the first battery energy storage system in Croatia connected to the transmission grid. The project is being implemented in partnership with NGEN, which is also the main engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor.

The battery modules used are Tesla Megapacks, which enable real-time grid balancing, he added. 

The virtual smart energy storage network will connect renewable power plants, industry, and households

The project represents the first step towards creating a virtual network of smart energy storage facilities that will connect renewable energy producers, industry, and households, Šmitran explained.

The entire project is connected to NGEN’s advanced technology platform, which enables participation in the markets for ancillary services, balancing, and intraday trading, as well as electricity supply, added Šmitran.

Developing a regional smart storage network

The model developed in Croatia in collaboration with NGEN is intended to be replicated in other regional markets where grid flexibility and system stability are in high demand, including Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia, Šmitran said.

The objective is to build a regional model of smart battery storage facilities and energy communities that will ensure sustainable, reliable, and independent energy supply across Southeast Europe in the long term, he said.

In its statement, the Ministry of Economy also said that the project in Šibenik paves the way for advanced grid services, such as virtual inertia for grid stabilization.