TenneT and Fluence will enhance transmission capacity of the German grid with two Grid Boosters

• TenneT selects Fluence to develop and build two Grid Boosters at the substations in Audorf Süd in Schleswig-Holstein and Ottenhofen in Bavaria
  
• The battery-based energy storage systems, with a combined power capacity of 200 MW, will increase transmission capacities of existing power lines, minimise grid interventions, increase renewable penetration, reduce grid expansion, improve security of supply, and help reduce costs to consumers
  
• TenneT’s innovative Grid Booster concept will use Fluence Ultrastack™, an advanced energy storage product designed for transmission grids, which has been developed and tested in Fluence’s technology centre in Erlangen, Germany
  

BAYREUTH, Germany and ERLANGEN, Germany, July 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Transmission grid operator TenneT and Fluence Energy GmbH (Fluence), a subsidiary of Fluence Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLNC) today sealed their cooperations on two Netzboosters (Grid Boosters) with a contract signing at Fluence’s technology centre in Erlangen. The Grid Boosters will deploy Fluence Ultrastack, an advanced energy storage product that’s designed to meet the high asset availability requirements of critical infrastructure. The battery-based energy storage systems will reduce system costs for consumers by minimising the need for grid interventions and reducing the need for grid expansion measures. TenneT is integrating the two Grid Boosters into the transmission grid at two strategically located grid nodes: Audorf Süd in Schleswig-Holstein and Ottenhofen in Bavaria. This allows TenneT to integrate more electricity from renewable generation, as the existing grid can be operated with a higher transmission load.

“Germany faces new challenges in a rapidly transforming power sector, including growing renewable generation capacity being situated far from load centres. Grid Boosters can be deployed faster, more cost effectively, and more flexibly than traditional grid infrastructure,” said Roman Loosen, Fluence’s Chief Business Operations and Transformation Officer. “Combining Fluence’s leading energy storage products and services with Tennet’s forward-thinking approach to grid management, the Grid Boosters play a critical role in strengthening the transmission system and symbolise the significant investment we are taking to advance clean tech innovation in Germany.”

Tim Meyerjürgens, COO of TenneT, emphasised the importance of Grid Boosters in the transmission grid: "We will not be able to adapt the transmission grid to the new challenges of the new energy system with grid expansion alone. The integration of electricity from renewables into the transmission grid will also depend to a large extent on operating resources, with which we can flexibly control the transmission grid. We are therefore pleased to have won Fluence as a strong and competent partner with many years of experience in the field of storage solutions. Grid Boosters are important and tangible solutions for a secure and affordable electricity supply.”

The projects at Audorf Süd substation and Ottenhofen substation are already in the concrete implementation stage, as Meyerjügens confirmed: "With today's signing of the contract, we have taken an important step towards realisation. At the same time, we are in close contact with the approval authorities and have secured the land at an early stage. It is now important that we complete the approval procedures with the responsible authorities quickly and without red tape so that the Grid Boosters contribute to grid stability in 2025 as planned."

Mode of Operation of the Grid Booster

As the energy transition accelerates, energy production and consumption are becoming increasingly imbalanced. Grid expansion is necessary to transport energy generated in decentralised locations over sometimes long distances. At the same time, the traditional grid expansion must be supplemented by innovations such as the Grid Booster concept to overcome the challenges for the transmission grid.

So far, the high-voltage grid in Germany has been operated according to the so-called n-1 principle. This means that power lines are not fully utilised to be able to step in and guarantee safe system operation in the case of a power failure. In the future, in addition to other resources, Grid Boosters will provide this function so that the transmission capacity of existing lines can be increased almost to full capacity. This reduces the need for preventive grid interventions.

TenneT’s Grid Boosters are the pilot projects planned in the grid development plan for electricity published in 2019. First, the concept will be tested on a small scale with two 100 MW/100 MWh energy storage systems at the Audorf Süd and Ottenhofen substations. In the second draft of the grid development plan for 2037/2045, the transmission system operators assume up to 54.5 GW of large energy storage systems in the German grid by 2045 under scenario C2045. The successful deployment of TenneT’s Grid Boosters will pave the way for other large-scale projects where storage is deployed as a transmission asset. These Grid Boosters open up great potential for secure and flexible grid operation and contribute to a more efficient and sustainable energy system.

The project builds on more than 15 years of energy storage deployments by the Fluence team. Ultrastack was tailored to the specific requirements of TenneT’s Grid Boosters and was developed and tested in Fluence’s technology centre in Erlangen. Fluence expects the need for storage solutions to grow rapidly, as the massive expansion of renewable energy sources will increase grid congestion and consequently require more grid reinforcement and relief interventions.

“Fluence, through its advanced product capabilities and extensive energy market experience, is well positioned to be a long-term partner to TSOs in Germany and globally,” said Markus Meyer, Managing Director at Fluence. “TenneT’s Grid Boosters will be the seventh and eighth storage-as-transmission projects Fluence is deploying. Our team is developing the complex applications required for these types of projects in our Erlangen lab and research facility and we continue to invest strongly in our German presence.” 

Click here to access a media kit with additional information regarding these projects and photos available for media use.

About Fluence

Fluence Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq: FLNC) is a global market leader in energy storage products and services, and cloud-based software for renewables and storage. With a presence in over 40 markets globally, Fluence provides an ecosystem of offerings to drive the clean energy transition, including modular, scalable energy storage products, comprehensive service offerings, and the Fluence IQ Platform, which delivers AI-enabled SaaS products for managing and optimizing renewables and storage from any provider. Fluence is transforming the way we power our world by helping customers create more resilient and sustainable electric grids.

For more information, visit our website, or follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter. To stay up to date on the latest industry insights, sign up for Fluence's Full Potential Blog.

About TenneT

TenneT is a leading European grid operator. We are committed to providing a secure and reliable supply of electricity 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, while helping to drive the energy transition in our pursuit of a brighter energy future – more sustainable, reliable and affordable than ever before. In our role as the first cross-border Transmission System Operator (TSO) we design, build, maintain and operate 25,000 kilometres of high-voltage electricity grid in the Netherlands and large parts of Germany, and facilitate the European energy market through our 17 interconnectors to neighbouring countries. We are one of the largest investors in national and international onshore and offshore electricity grids, with a turnover of EUR 9.8 billion and a total asset value of EUR 41 billion. Every day our 7,400 employees take ownership, show courage and make and maintain connections to ensure that the supply and demand of electricity is balanced for over 43 million people.

Lighting the way ahead together.

Forward-Looking Statements (Fluence)

The statements described herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the anticipated outcome, operational performance and efficiency of Ultrastack, anticipated impacts of the battery-based energy storage systems on cost savings for consumers, anticipated outcome and performance of the Grid Boosters as well as anticipated timeline for implementation and integration of the Grid Boosters into the transmission grid, and the expected role that Grid Boosters will have in the energy transition in Germany. Such statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. When used in this press release, words such as “may,” “possible,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “could,” “intends,” “targets,” “projects,” “contemplates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions and variations thereof and similar words and expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking.

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments, as well as a number of assumptions concerning future events, and their potential effects on our business. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance, and there can be no assurance that future developments affecting our business will be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, which include, but are not limited to, unforeseen circumstances outside of Fluence’s control which may cause the Grid Boosters and/or Ultrastack to not perform as anticipated, impacts to the project from geopolitical instability, extreme weather or changes in applicable regulations and policies in applicable jurisdictions, failure to achieve the anticipated benefits and operational performance of the Grid Boosters and/or Ultrastack, and factors set forth under Part I, Item 1A.“Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on December 14, 2022 and in other filings we make with the SEC from time to time. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time and it is not possible for us to predict all such risk factors, nor can we assess the effect of all such risk factors on our business or the extent to which any factor or combination of factors may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of the assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements made in this press release. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement, and we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur, or which we become aware of, after the date hereof, except as otherwise may be required by law.

Contacts

Fluence Media
Joanna Spirodek, Regional Marketing Manager, EMEA
Email: joanna.spirodek@fluenceenergy.com
Phone: + 49 (0)172 8662155

TenneT Media
Ina-Isabelle Haffke
Email: Ina-Isabelle.Haffke@tennet.eu
Phone: +49 (0)151 42246910

Fluence Analyst Contact
Lexington May, Vice President of Investor Relations
Email: investorrelations@fluenceenergy.com
Phone: +1 713 909-5629

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e3fd1543-6424-4c6b-bcf4-2a7a60c3b29d