IN Brief:
- Vattenfall will have contractual access to 100MW/400MWh at Vopak's planned battery installation near Meeden.
- Vopak will develop and operate the complete 150MW facility, designed for a four-hour storage duration.
- The tolling agreement supports Vattenfall's ambition to contract at least 1.5GW of battery capacity across its core markets.
Vattenfall has signed a tolling agreement with Royal Vopak for 100MW/400MWh of battery storage capacity at a planned installation near Meeden in the Dutch province of Groningen. The contract will give Vattenfall access to part of a larger facility being developed and operated by Vopak, with commercial operation currently expected in the second quarter of 2028.
The complete battery energy storage system is planned to provide 150MW of power capacity with a four-hour storage duration. Vattenfall will be able to use its contracted portion to manage electricity market positions and fluctuations between renewable generation and demand, while Vopak will retain responsibility for developing and operating the physical installation.
Under a tolling agreement, the capacity customer obtains contractual rights over the commercial use of storage equipment without having to purchase the asset itself. The precise allocation of operating responsibilities depends on the agreement, which the companies have not disclosed in full. Neither the financial value nor the duration of the Meeden contract has been announced.
Vattenfall’s contracted 100MW represents the maximum power associated with its allocation, while the 400MWh figure describes the nominal amount of stored energy available over time. A four-hour configuration provides scope for electricity delivery across several consecutive trading periods, subject to the batteries’ usable state of charge, conversion losses and the plant’s operating limits.
Battery storage can respond to changes in electricity prices by charging when supply is comparatively abundant and discharging when electricity is more valuable. The economics depend on the difference between purchase and sale prices, the cost of electrical losses and any operating restrictions. The battery may also be capable of providing balancing services, although the companies have not specified which market products Vattenfall intends to use at Meeden.
The physical operation remains governed by the battery management system, power conversion equipment and grid connection conditions. Charging requires electricity to be converted from alternating current into the direct-current system used by the batteries, while discharging reverses the process. Inverters control that exchange, and the plant’s electrical protection and supervisory controls must keep operation within the agreed connection limits.
The location of a battery influences how its operation affects the electricity network. A commercially attractive charging period does not necessarily coincide with spare capacity on a particular circuit, while discharging during a local constraint can increase loading rather than reduce it. The operating arrangements will therefore need to account for the network requirements applying at the Meeden connection.
Vattenfall said the agreement brings it closer to its objective of contracting at least 1.5GW of battery storage capacity across its core markets. The company’s activities in electricity generation, supply and wholesale trading create a requirement to manage changes in renewable output alongside obligations to supply electricity to customers.
Erik Suichies, Head of Wholesale Energy at Vattenfall, said that flexibility is becoming increasingly important as more renewable generation connects to the electricity system. “Battery storage helps make better use of renewable electricity and contributes to a more reliable and efficient energy system,” he said.
The agreement also advances Vopak’s expansion into electrical energy storage. The company has traditionally operated large industrial storage infrastructure, but has begun investing in battery projects that combine physical asset ownership with contracted access for electricity market participants.
In July 2026, Vopak completed its acquisition of a majority stake in Green Energy Storage and took a final investment decision on a separate 200MW/800MWh battery development at Oosterhout. That project has a commercial arrangement with Greenchoice and should be distinguished from the new Meeden development, which is at an earlier delivery stage.
The arrangement at Meeden provides Vopak with a named customer for a substantial portion of the planned battery’s capacity before the installation is commissioned. Contracted revenues can help support the financing of storage assets, although the companies have not disclosed whether the Vattenfall agreement is linked to a final investment decision or particular financing structure.
Nor have they confirmed the battery manufacturer, power conversion equipment supplier, grid connection voltage or construction contractor. Those details will determine the practical delivery programme and the technical tests required before the equipment can provide the agreed storage services.
Vopak is targeting commercial operation during the second quarter of 2028. Until construction, connection and commissioning are completed, the 100MW/400MWh agreement represents Vattenfall’s future contractual capacity rather than an operational storage resource already available for dispatch.