At Balbriggan, County Dublin, RWE has been operating an 8.5 MW/8.5 MWh battery storage facility since 2021. With a capacity of 8.5 megawatt hours (MWh), the facility can feed power into the grid at very short notice. In this way it helps to offset the larger-scale fluctuations in the grid that may result from having a greater proportion of renewables in the energy mix.

The Stephenstown battery storage plant will provide critical system services to help ensure a smooth flow of electricity into the grid, as Ireland continues its transition into renewable energies. In the first half of 2020 Irish onshore wind farms generated nearly 37% of the country’s electricity needs, making Ireland an important market for onshore wind. Ireland has set a target of generating 80% renewable electricity by 2030. Deployment of battery storage like Stephenstown, will be capable of responding in milliseconds to frequency changes, importing or exporting electricity from the grid as needed, and helping efficiently stabilise the grid, while guaranteeing reliable electricity supply for users.