HELLENiQ ENERGY has brought its first Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) into operation at its Thessaloniki Industrial Facilities in Greece, marking a significant step in the company’s strategy to expand its renewable energy and electricity storage business. Developed by HELLENiQ Renewables, the facility has an installed power capacity of 100 MW and a storage capacity of 200 MWh. The investment is valued at approximately €50 million.
The project is among the largest electricity storage facilities developed in Greece and Southeast Europe. It is designed to improve the utilisation of renewable electricity, reduce energy curtailment and provide flexibility and balancing services to Greece’s National Electricity Transmission System.
The battery park enables surplus renewable electricity to be stored when generation exceeds demand and released when consumption increases. This will help improve power system efficiency, strengthen grid reliability and create additional capacity for integrating new renewable energy projects into the national electricity network.
Sotiris Kapellos, CEO of HELLENiQ Renewables, said the company had developed a portfolio of renewable energy and battery storage projects exceeding 6 GW through investments across Greece and Southeast Europe. More than 700 MW of this portfolio is already operational, according to the company. He highlighted electricity storage as a critical component of future energy systems, supporting renewable energy integration, reducing curtailment and improving energy affordability over time.
The Thessaloniki facility is expected to complete at least one full charging and discharging cycle daily, storing more than 200 MWh of electricity. The company said this volume is equivalent to fully charging approximately 3,000 electric vehicles each day, illustrating the potential contribution of large-scale batteries to the more efficient use of clean electricity.
Developed across approximately 100,000 square metres, the project comprises three battery storage systems using lithium iron phosphate (LFP) technology with liquid cooling. The facility also includes the necessary grid connection infrastructure, including a new 33/150 kV step-up substation and an underground high-voltage transmission line extending approximately five kilometres to the Thessaloniki Extra-High Voltage Centre.
Construction created around 100 direct jobs and supported regional economic activity through cooperation with local businesses and suppliers. The project was selected through the first competitive tender process conducted by Greece’s Regulatory Authority for Waste, Energy and Water (RAAEY) for energy storage systems. It was implemented under the country’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan, Greece 2.0, with funding from the European Union’s NextGenerationEU programme.
HELLENiQ ENERGY is also preparing its second storage project in Florina, Greece, which is expected to be completed soon. The facility will have a power capacity of 50 MW and storage capacity of 200 MWh.
George Alexopoulos, Deputy CEO of HELLENiQ ENERGY, said the project supports the group’s strategy to establish a strong integrated electricity and renewables business.
The company’s renewable energy and storage development portfolio exceeds 6 GW, including more than 1 GW of storage projects across Greece, Romania, Cyprus and Bulgaria. HELLENiQ ENERGY aims to achieve 1.5 GW of operational renewable energy capacity by 2028 and more than 2 GW by 2030, with investments spanning solar, wind and battery storage.
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