Estonia inagurates its largest battery energy storage project

Estonian state-owned energy company Eesti Energia has inaugurated the nation’s largest battery energy storage facility at the Auvere industrial complex in Ida-Viru County. The 26.5 MW/53.1 MWh system was developed to boost the stability of the regional electricity grid and mitigate high peak electricity prices for consumers.

The project, which came with a price tag of €19.6 million, was commissioned on February 1 only a few days before the desynchronization of the Baltic electricity system from the Russian grid.

In similar moves, only a day before it began to unplug from Russia’s electricity grid and join the EU’s network, Lithuania announced 800 MWh energy storage tender to the tune of EUR 102 million ($ 105 million) with the goal to procure balancing services to the transmission system operator and ensure the resilience of its grid.

Previously, in November 2024, Latvia activated its first utility-scale battery storage project in preparation for the decoupling from Russian grid. The 10 MW/20 MWh BESS was added a to its 58.8 MW Targale Wind Park, which has been operating since 2022, and supplied by Chinese company Hoymiles. 

Estonia’s Auvere BESS project is designed to participate in both the electricity exchange and other energy markets to ensure the security of electricity supply. According to Eesti Energia board member Kristjan Kuhi, the battery is able to respond very effectively to fluctuations in the power system.

“This modern capacity significantly reduces the costs of balancing the Baltic electricity system and thus the end price for the consumer,” Kuhi said. “An additional positive impact will also be felt in the day-ahead electricity market, where the battery will be able to smooth out high price peaks for consumers and create demand in the market during times of surplus production.”

Minister of Finance Jürgen Ligi, who attended the inauguration event on Wednesday, the Auvere battery reservoir represents a pivotal advancement in Estonia’s energy transition. “For a democratic nation, having renewable energy storage capacity is crucial for enhancing energy independence. It’s also heartening that this investment incorporates technology from the free world,” he stated.

The project was delivered by energy solutions system integrator Diotech Group, which won Eesti Energia’s international tender in 2023. It was supplied with battery technology from LG Energy Solution. Installation and connection work were carried out by Enefit Solutions.

“The Auvere battery reservoir project was a unique endeavor for us, with a demanding work schedule at times. However, we successfully completed everything on time and to a high standard. The experience provided us with invaluable know-how for future projects. This, in turn, will enable us to continue contributing to the development of Baltic energy storage network,” said Mart Moora, member of the board at Diotech.