Fortum installs ‘biggest battery in Nordics’ at biomass power plant

Finnish energy firm Fortum has installed a lithium-ion battery, which is believed to be the biggest in the Nordic countries, at its biomass power plant in Järvenpää for storage use.

The investment was part of Fortum’s Finland-based ‘Batcave project’ and cost around €1.6 million. Fortum will also receive a 30% energy investment subsidy from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment for the project.

The battery’s nominal output is 2MW, its energy capacity 1MWh and it consists of approximately 6600 lithium-ion cells. It has been supplied by French battery company Saft.

“Our Batcave project takes us a big step closer towards the solar economy, where electricity storage plays an important role alongside renewable energy production forms. The electricity battery brings flexibility to the national electricity market, benefitting all electricity users. In addition to storing electricity, the Batcave project allows us to test completely new ideas for optimal control of the battery together with other flexible electricity production forms,” says Tatu Kulla, head of business development at Fortum.