VPI, a leading power company in the UK and Ireland, today announces a joint venture with battery project developer, Quantitas Energy, to support Germany’s energy transition.

Initially, the joint venture aims to deliver 500MW/1GWh of battery energy storage solutions (BESS). This will make it one of Germany’s leading developers and operators of utility-scale batteries.

Batteries deliver flexible power to overcome the challenges of intermittency and short-term energy gaps as more renewables come onto the energy system. Flexibility will become increasingly important as sectors such as industry, heat and transport electrify, and AI and data centres increase the demand for power.

Utility-scale batteries are still in their infancy in Germany, with less than 2GWh online. To enable the German government’s target of 80% renewables by 2030, the Fraunhofer Institute estimates Germany will need around 100GWh of flexible power in the energy system. Of this, two-thirds will come from utility-scale batteries, requiring a significant development pipeline to achieve.

VPI owns 3.5GW of power generation capacity. It is the largest battery operator in Ireland and is pioneering a carbon capture project in the UK, which could help kickstart the abatement of the country’s most emitting industrial cluster. VPI is also exploring opportunities to switch to hydrogen in some of its sites once it becomes technically and economically viable as a fuel. This joint venture is the start of the company’s investment in Germany.

Dr Jorge Pikunic, the Chief Executive of VPI, said: “At VPI, we see ourselves as system solvers within the energy transition – our role is to spot and anticipate challenges that will emerge as we journey to net zero and act to solve them. “As more renewables come onto the German energy system, we will see increasing challenges of short-term energy gaps caused by the weather. Batteries play an important role in delivering flexible energy hour by hour, which is especially important as power demand increases through electrification and data needs, and as coal and lignite are phased out. However, the technology is still nascent in Germany so needs significant investment and focus to develop. Quantitas Energy has developed a project pipeline and deep relationships with key German stakeholders such as landowners, local municipalities, and distribution system operators. Together we can help develop the infrastructure needed to help facilitate Germany’s energy transition.”  - Dr Jorge Pikunic, the Chief Executive of VPI

Dr Theodor Borsche, Founder and SEO of Quantitas Energy, said: “We are excited to be partnering with VPI, who bring a wealth of experience as market leaders of batteries in other countries. With their track record of investment, they have proven their long-term commitment to driving the energy transition and to delivering secure energy. We believe batteries are a crucial piece of the energy transition puzzle and will enable Germany to reach its ambitious target of 80% renewables by 2030. We are looking forward to growing our venture into a leading independent flexibility provider in the German and European power system. We want to thank all the local landowners, DSOs, municipalities and partners in Mecklenburg Vorpommern, Brandenburg and Hessen for their support so far and are looking forward to continuing our journey together, strengthened by our partnership with VPI.” - Dr Theodor Borsche, Founder and CEO of Quantitas Energy

About VPI

With a capacity of 3.5GW, VPI is one of the leading power companies in the UK and Ireland. We believe that achieving net zero is fundamental to all our futures. Getting there means embracing a new energy reality – operating and evolving the current power system while introducing new energy sources and emerging technologies. Our portfolio includes reliable thermal power, battery storage, and carbon capture projects to deliver decarbonised, dispatchable, and flexible power generation in the UK & Ireland.

About Quantitas Energy

At Quantitas, we believe in a fully renewable future. Quantitas develops and operates well-executed, profitable and innovative flexibility assets to significantly drive the energy transition forward. Early on, we identified Germany as the key market for flexibility. Through the joint venture, we aim to develop and build our pipeline of several hundred MW of projects as well as our other leads in the German and European markets.