Elestor and Windpark Zeewolde partner on long-duration energy storage to address grid congestion

Elestor and Windpark Zeewolde have entered a collaboration for the phased deployment of a large-scale hydrogen-iron flow battery at the largest onshore wind farm in The Netherlands.

Large-scale storage directly connected to wind production

The planned energy system will have a power capacity of 20 MW, with an intended storage duration of 10 to 40 hours and an overall capacity of 200 to 800 MWh. The battery will be directly connected to the energy area of Windpark Zeewolde, enabling wind energy to be used more effectively, reducing peak loads on the electricity grid and optimizing existing grid capacity.

From wind farm to energy hub

Windpark Zeewolde is fully owned by the local community, with more than 200 farmers, residents and entrepreneurs involved. With the addition of long-duration energy storage, the wind farm is taking the next step in its development into an energy hub, where renewable generation, storage and flexible use are intelligently combined.

The project will be implemented in phases. Elestor will first deploy its final pre-commercial unit to demonstrate the performance and market readiness of its hydrogen-iron flow battery technology a real-world use case. This will be followed by a commercially ready production battery.

A milestone for long-duration energy storage

For Elestor, the collaboration marks an important milestone in the commercial application of its technology. The project demonstrates how long-duration energy storage can support large-scale wind production by storing renewable electricity when supply is high and making it available when demand increases or grid capacity allows.

Elestor’s hydrogen-iron flow battery technology is designed for long-duration performance and frequent cycling, using abundant materials such as hydrogen and iron. Together, Windpark Zeewolde and Elestor will demonstrate show how local renewable energy and long-duration storage can contribute to a more flexible and reliable energy system.