Customer story | Steengoed uses solar production more intelligently thanks to battery storage with Bnewable

Bnewable supports Steengoed Energie in the realization of a 9 MWh battery park, enabling the organization to use its solar production more intelligently and take a further step in its sustainability journey. We spoke with Wim Verschuren, project manager at Steengoed Energie, about the reason behind the project and the collaboration with Bnewable.

“We have realized a 9 megawatt-hour battery park here, in collaboration with Bnewable,” says Wim Verschuren. “The purpose of the batteries is to implement a further step in sustainability.”

With this project, Bnewable helps Steengoed make better use of its solar production and evolve towards a more flexible, future-oriented energy infrastructure. The result is a long-term asset that not only creates value for Steengoed, but also contributes to a more stable energy system.

Steengoed has approximately 7,000 solar panels with a total capacity of 4 MW. At times when the generated solar energy is not consumed locally, that energy must be injected into the grid. This is not always financially attractive. That is why battery storage emerged as a solution to manage energy even more intelligently.

For Steengoed, choosing the right partner was crucial. The organization was looking for a party that could not only deliver batteries, but also had the expertise to configure them correctly and manage them intelligently.

“We started looking for a partner and considered several options,” says Verschuren. “We then very clearly chose Bnewable because we really saw them as a party that knows the subject: controlling batteries, supplying batteries, and it is their core business.”

Left: Wim Verschuren, Project Manager at Steengoed Energie
Right: 4.5 MW / 9 MWh BESS in Dilsen-Stokkem

“For us, Bnewable was the right partner because they know what they are talking about.”

Bnewable played an important role in the technical development of the project. From the configuration of the hardware to the coordination with the right suppliers, the project was prepared and monitored step by step behind the scenes.

“The collaboration is going very well. I notice that Bnewable knows what they are talking about,” says Verschuren. “Behind the scenes, Bnewable has been working hard to properly configure the hardware and have it delivered by the right supplier. If there are any questions, they are also resolved quickly.”

The process also progressed as expected in terms of timing and follow-up. Although the project had a lead time of approximately one year, partly due to the permitting process, the implementation remained on schedule.

The battery project at Steengoed fits within a broader energy transition. As more and more wind and solar energy is added, flexibility becomes increasingly important to ensure the electricity grid continues to function properly. Batteries play a key role in this.

“We ended up choosing that battery because we were made aware that these systems exist and are being deployed more and more across Belgium,” concludes Verschuren. “Mainly because more and more wind and solar energy is being added, batteries are really needed to help improve the capacity issues on the grid and keep the grid functioning properly. And of course, we want to contribute to that as well.”