Total to build largest battery-based energy storage project in France

The development of renewable energy that is intermittent and decentralised requires the security of the electricity grid through flexible electricity storage capacities, especially in the form of batteries.

Total has unveiled plans to build a battery-based energy storage project in Mardyck, at the Flandres Center, in Dunkirk’s port district. With a storage capacity of 25 MWh and output of 25 MW of power, the new lithium-ion energy storage system will be the largest in France. It will be used to provide fast reserve services to support the stability of the French power grid.

Scheduled for commissioning in late 2020, the new storage system represents an investment of around €15mn. 

‘This project is part of Total’s strategy to develop the stationary energy storage solutions that are critical to the expansion of renewable energy, which is intermittent by nature. It will contribute toward the goal of increasing the share of renewables in France’s energy mix, while helping to stabilise the domestic power grid,’ said Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of Total.

As part of its ambition to become ‘the responsible energy major’, Total is building a portfolio of low carbon electricity operations, with the objective of seeing them account for 15–20% of its sales mix by 2040. Today, Total’s gross low carbon power generation capacity is close to 7 GW, of which more than 3 GW is derived from renewable energy sources.