Gigabattery in Lusatia: energy transition or financial bubble?

Gigabattery in Lusatia: energy transition or financial bubble?

Gigabattery Jänschwalde, Europe's largest battery storage project, is being built in Lusatia. Lausitz Energie Mining AG (Leag) is planning a plant that will boast an output of 1,000 megawatts and a capacity of 4,000 megawatt hours. The aim of the project is to absorb excess wind and solar power and thus make a significant contribution to the energy transition. But questions about financing and the origin of the batteries remain unanswered. The economic sense and flexibility of the project is undisputed, according to expert Professor Franz Dietrich from the TU Berlin, who highlights the advantages of the project.

The battery systems are designed to be modular, which allows for both high mobility and cost-effective relocation. This is particularly important to compensate for network fluctuations. Ludwig Jörissen from the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research (ZSW) also sees the urgent need for storage for a more stable energy supply. Regionally, Julia Kowal from the TU Berlin believes that the use of storage is particularly useful in order to ensure proximity to wind and solar parks. However, a Leag spokesman was unable to define a clear supply radius and stated that there was no direct connection to Berlin's power supply.

Financial Challenges and Battery Manufacturing

The financial situation surrounding the Gigabattery project raises some questions. The financing remains unclear, but Claudia Kemfert from the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) explains that this mostly comes from market revenues and investors. Experts estimate the cost of the battery park to be in the nine-figure range. The potential capacity is impressive: The storage system could theoretically supply 1.6 million households with electricity for four hours.

However, the batteries mainly come from Asia, with Fluence Energy supplying the clusters. Germany currently has hardly any cell production of its own; More than 95 percent of the materials required come from China. Lithium-ion batteries are less suitable for storing energy for days or weeks because they have a limited lifespan. Alternative technologies such as hydrogen storage are important here, while the hydrogen core network in Germany should not be completed until 2032 at the earliest.

Storage technologies and their role in the energy transition

The energy transition requires innovative storage technologies to make renewable energy usable sustainably. By 2025, new electricity storage systems will reach technical and economic maturity in order to provide CO2-neutral electricity around the clock, according to Techzeitgeist. Technologies such as lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and sodium-ion batteries as well as hydrogen storage are important. LFP batteries, for example, are characterized by high cycle stability and specific capacities.

Large batteries could achieve efficiencies of 85 to 92 percent by 2025. Regardless of whether it is for grid stability or the storage of renewable energies – the development of new storage technologies will be crucial for a climate-neutral future. It is inevitable that there will be challenges in network integration. There are a lack of standards and an outdated infrastructure that need to be overcome.

Conclusion: The billion-dollar project in Lusatia not only tests our options for storing renewable energy, but also the question of sustainability and the raw materials required for this. The coming years will show whether the Gigabattery Jänschwalde is more than just an ambitious project - it could definitely be a step towards a real energy transition.