Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)
InterConnect Malta has been entrusted the responsibility to implement Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) to be connected to the Maltese National electric grid network.
“Grid-scale storage plays an important role in the EU Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario, providing important system services that range from short-term balancing and operating reserves, ancillary services for grid stability and deferment of investment in new transmission and distribution lines, to long-term energy storage and restoring grid operations following a blackout.” (IEA, 2022)
BESS presents an important potential contribution for Malta to achieve its EU decarbonisation commitments and feature in the Malta Low Carbon Development Strategy and Malta’s 2030 National Energy and Climate Plan
Procurement Procedures
A tender was issued and awarded for contracting qualified consultants acting as project designers during the design and procurement of these system.
Commercial & Regulatory
Project Benefits
- Store energy generated by renewables during hours of maximum delivery and use it during peaks, thus flattening the variance between day and evening on conventional generation plant output. This in turn is expected to increase the efficiency of the conventional plant in operation and thus reduce its emissions. Excess RES generated will be stored and then used to displace the starting up/ramping up of CO2 emitting plants.
- Reduce the effect of the variability and intermittency caused by renewables, in periods of variable cloud cover, and thus permit the operation of conventional plant in a more stable manner, with inherent gains in plant reliability, plant emissions and CO2 emission savings.
- Provide a source of secure supply in cases of plant outages thereby enhancing the grid’s resilience and stability,
- Address grid bottlenecks to accelerate the penetration of RES and offer solutions to alleviate congestion in the distribution network,
- Provide black start facility capable of restarting the power station and grid in the event of a total shutdown and supply power to part of the network.
- Enable the ingress of further RES, including large-scale renewable energy offshore projects, thereby reducing the use of fossil fuels for electricity generation
- Provide fast frequency and voltage stabilisation to the Maltese grid in case Malta is isolated from the Italian grid because of maintenance or faults.
Timeline: Marsa A-Station
2023
April
Published tender to engage consultants to act as project designers during the Design and Procurement of BESS
May
Started evaluation of bids received following closure of tender submission period
Submitted project description statements (PDS) to the ERA for both Delimara and Marsa A-station BESS
June
ERA reviews the Project Description Statement and confirms that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is not required
Awarded tender for the consultants to act as project designers during Design and Procurement of BESS
August
The Planning Authority in Malta validated the application and formally initiated the statutory period
2024
Permitting
Timeline: Delimara Power Station
2023
April
Published tender to engage consultants to act as project designers during the Design and Procurement of BESS
May
Started evaluation of bids received following closure of tender submission period
Submitted project description statements (PDS) to the ERA for their review and screening
June
ERA revies the Project Description Statement and confirms that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is not required
Awarded tender for the consultants to act as project designers during Design and Procurement of BESS
August
The Planning Authority in Malta validated the application and formally initiated the statutory period
2024
Permitting
Funding
The BESS project will be split into two main projects
The first Project (BESS 1) will be funded from the Recovery and Resilience Fund (RRF) and is planned to be located at close proximity to the Marsa North Distribution Centre.
The second Project (BESS 2) will have a larger capacity than the first and will be funded from the ERDF programme. This storage system will be located within the precincts of the Delimara Power Station.