LEAG and Fluence to build Europe’s largest battery storage project – Energy Global

Report on the GigaBattery Jänschwalde 1000 Project and its Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

Project Overview

A strategic partnership has been formed between LEAG Clean Power GmbH and Fluence Energy GmbH to develop Europe’s largest battery energy storage system (BESS) in Jänschwalde, Germany. This initiative is a cornerstone of LEAG’s “GigawattFactory” strategy, which aims to integrate renewable energy systems with large-scale storage and flexible power plants to advance Germany’s energy transition.

• Project Name: GigaBattery Jänschwalde 1000
• Capacity: 1 GW power / 4 GWh energy
• Technology: Fluence Smartstack advanced energy storage solution
• Objective: To stabilize the electrical grid, enhance the integration of renewable energy, and bolster Germany’s energy security in alignment with global sustainability targets.

Alignment with SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

The project is a direct and substantial contribution to ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. By addressing the intermittency of renewable sources, the GigaBattery system makes clean energy a more dependable component of the national energy mix.

1. Increasing Renewable Energy Share: The 4 GWh storage capacity enables the capture and deployment of vast amounts of wind and solar energy, which would otherwise be curtailed, thereby increasing the overall share of renewables in the grid.
2. Ensuring Energy Availability: The system guarantees a constant supply of energy, decoupling power availability from the variable nature of renewable generation and enhancing overall grid reliability.
3. Reinforcing Energy Security: By providing large-scale domestic energy storage, the project reduces reliance on external energy sources and strengthens the resilience of Germany’s power system.

Contribution to SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

The GigaBattery Jänschwalde 1000 represents a landmark investment in building resilient, sustainable, and innovative energy infrastructure. It applies cutting-edge technology to solve one of the most significant challenges of the modern energy sector.

• Building Resilient Infrastructure: The project establishes a critical piece of infrastructure designed to support a future-proof energy system capable of handling high penetration of renewables.
• Promoting Clean Technologies: The deployment of Fluence’s advanced battery technology on a gigawatt scale promotes the adoption and advancement of clean technologies, fostering innovation within the energy industry.
• Fostering Regional Transformation: The initiative transforms the Lusatian energy region into a hub for sustainable energy, demonstrating a successful transition towards a green economy.

Supporting SDG 13: Climate Action

This project is a critical tool for climate action, directly enabling the deep decarbonization of the power sector. Its primary function is to facilitate the displacement of fossil fuel-based power generation with clean, renewable alternatives.

1. Enabling Decarbonization: The battery system is essential for phasing out carbon-intensive power plants by providing the necessary grid stability and dispatchable power that renewables alone cannot.
2. Optimizing Grid for Renewables: It provides essential grid services that allow for the optimal utilization of the existing grid connection, enabling a higher capacity for renewable energy integration.
3. Setting a European Precedent: As Europe’s largest BESS, the project serves as a scalable model for other nations to follow in their efforts to combat climate change and meet emissions reduction targets.

Fostering SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The collaboration between LEAG and Fluence exemplifies a powerful partnership for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. It combines the vision and regional presence of a major energy provider with the technological expertise of a global market leader in energy storage.

• Strategic Collaboration: The project is founded on a partnership that leverages the unique strengths of each organization to achieve a common sustainable development objective.
• Mobilizing Technology and Expertise: Fluence provides its proven technology and global expertise, while LEAG contributes its deep understanding of the regional energy landscape and infrastructure.
• A Model for Transformation: This partnership demonstrates how collaboration between industry leaders can accelerate the energy transition and deliver projects of a scale necessary to make a meaningful impact on global sustainability targets.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
   • The article focuses on a large-scale battery energy storage system designed to support the integration of renewable energy sources like photovoltaic and wind power. This directly relates to ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. The project aims to solve the challenge of the intermittent availability of renewables, which is crucial for “advancing the energy transition.”
2. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
   • The construction of “Europe’s largest battery energy storage system” is a significant development in building resilient and sustainable infrastructure. The article highlights the use of “cutting-edge technologies” and an “advanced energy storage solution,” pointing to the innovation aspect of this SDG. The project is described as essential for strengthening “system stability” and reinforcing “Germany’s energy security.”
3. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • The project is a direct response to the challenges of climate change. By enabling the large-scale integration of renewable energy, the battery storage system helps reduce reliance on fossil fuels, a key component of the “energy transition.” The article explicitly states the project’s goal is to “drive the energy transition forward at scale,” which is a fundamental strategy for climate action.
4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • The entire project is a result of a partnership between LEAG Clean Power GmbH and Fluence Energy GmbH. The article emphasizes this collaboration, stating, “We are proud to partner on a project of this scale and importance.” This private-sector partnership to achieve sustainable energy goals is a clear example of SDG 17 in action.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Under SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy):
   • Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. The article explains that the project addresses “the constant availability of energy regardless of the availability of renewable energies.” By storing energy from solar and wind, the system allows for a more stable and reliable supply, thus enabling a higher proportion of renewables in Germany’s energy grid.
   • Target 7.a: By 2030, enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology… and promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology. The project is a collaboration between LEAG and Fluence, a “global market leader,” to build critical clean energy infrastructure using “advanced energy storage solution” technology.
2. Under SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure):
   • Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies. The GigaBattery project represents a major upgrade to the energy infrastructure, using clean technology to make the grid more sustainable and capable of handling a higher load of renewable energy.
3. Under SDG 13 (Climate Action):
   • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning. The article notes that the “German government reaffirmed the crucial role of energy storage in ensuring a secure, affordable, and sustainable power system.” This project is an implementation of that national strategy, directly integrating climate change mitigation measures into energy infrastructure planning.
4. Under SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals):
   • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships. The collaboration between LEAG and Fluence is a prime example of a private-private partnership working to achieve large-scale sustainable development goals. The article highlights how “when expertise, vision, and courage come together, a major transformation is possible.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. For Target 7.2:
   • An implied indicator is the increased integration of renewable energy into the grid. While the article doesn’t provide a percentage, the project’s entire purpose is to “better integrate renewable energy,” and its successful operation would contribute to an increase in the share of renewables.
2. For Target 9.4:
   • A specific, quantitative indicator is mentioned directly in the article: the total installed capacity of the new clean energy infrastructure. The project is defined as a “1 GW/4 GWh system,” which is a measurable investment in sustainable infrastructure.
3. For Target 13.2:
   • An indicator is the implementation of projects aligned with national climate strategies. The construction of the “GigaBattery Jänschwalde 1000” serves as a tangible indicator that Germany’s energy transition policy is being actively executed.
4. For Target 17.17:
   • The primary indicator is the formation and successful execution of the partnership itself. The joint project between LEAG Clean Power GmbH and Fluence Energy GmbH to build the battery system is a direct measure of a partnership contributing to sustainable development.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: energyglobal.com