Boralex today announced the commissioning of its second energy storage unit in France. The battery, which has a storage capacity of more than 3.3 MWh, is installed on the site of the Plouguin wind farm (Finistère, Brittany). Having just recently announced the commissioning of the Moulins du Lohan wind farm in the region, Boralex is delighted to be once again contributing to the advancement of renewable energy in Brittany.

A local initiative 

Boralex was selected for the project following the 2019 launch of a call for expressions of interest by the Brittany Regional Council. Endorsed and supported by local association Smart Ideas to Link Energies (SMILE), the project was co-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The system used for the project was developed by Entech, a storage systems specialist based in Quimper (Finistère).

A contribution to the development of renewables

The Plouguin storage unit addresses three objectives: consolidating the stability of the French electricity grid, particularly in Brittany; supporting the deployment of high-capacity energy storage; and contributing to the integration of renewable energy into the electricity grid.

The Plouguin storage unit is a valuable addition to the adjacent wind farm. It considers the disparity between production and consumption, by, for instance, storing energy and feeding it to the energy grid when it is needed, thus matching production to consumption.

“In the current context of accelerating renewable energy development and growing energy needs, energy storage is a promising solution for greater grid flexibility and more efficient consumption of competitive, low-carbon energy. Thanks to sites like Plouguin and, before it, Vallée de l’Arce (Aube, Grand Est), we are looking beyond just producing green energy. We are putting in place innovative services to accompany the rise of renewable energies and contribute to the energy transition,” said Nicolas Wolff, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Boralex, Europe.

Technological diversification 

This commissioning is in line with Boralex’s ongoing efforts to gradually roll out a battery energy storage and tap into the significant cost reductions associated with storage technology. Thanks to the Company’s persistent efforts to accelerate storage sites development, its storage project portfolio now stands at over 800 MW worldwide.

KeyFacts Energy: Boralex France country profile