A 100MWh energy storage system using second-life batteries has been connected to the grid in France by UK-based company Connected Energy.
The battery energy storage system (BESS) was deployed in the Région Centre-Val de Loire, further strengthening the company’s ties with France as it aims to tap into the country’s potential for second-life BESS projects. To support this goal, the company has opened an office in Bordeaux, recruited a local team to develop a portfolio of BESS sites, and established relationships with French firms Renault, Forsee Power and Engie.
Connected Energy plans to commission its first large-scale site by 2027 and aims to deploy around 1GWh of second-life batteries by 2030. The company intends to grow its project pipeline in line with second-life battery availability.
Rob Moore, Chief Business Development Officer at Connected Energy, said:
“France has available grid capacity and growing renewable generation, which BESS can optimise, as well as other grid stability needs arising from its ageing nuclear fleet and interconnections with renewable-rich European neighbours.”
He added that the country’s strong energy trading market made the business case for second-life BESS even more attractive.
New hires
The company’s new French team includes Charlie Vrignon, who has been appointed as its Country Head for France. He joins from HDF Energy, where he led global project development for controllable and dispatchable renewable power plants across the Mediterranean region and Southern Europe.
Cedric Gouloumes joins the team as Business Development Manager. He brings 23 years of experience in site identification and urban development planning.
The pair will initially focus on identifying suitable locations for energy storage, securing land, and expanding the deployment of Connected Energy’s systems within the French market.
Creating a second-life market
Founded in 2010, Connected Energy has deployed second-life BESS installations across Europe. It works with EV and battery OEMs to help monetise end-of-life battery packs through supporting renewable integration via frequency regulation and peak shaving applications.
One of Connected Energy’s investors is the French multinational utility Engie. The company also has a long-standing collaboration with French vehicle manufacturer Renault and has signed a battery supply deal with Forsee Power to jointly develop containerised battery blocks.
These blocks combine Connected Energy’s second-life technology with Forsee Power’s ZEN 35 and ZEN 42 battery packs from electric buses. The resulting units can be ‘plugged into’ large-scale BESS systems alongside other battery types.
In August, German firm Voltfang opened its new production facility, Voltfang Future Fab, in Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia. The plant produces storage solutions using second-life battery packs. By the end of 2026, it is expected to reach an annual production capacity of 250MWh, scaling up to 1GWh by 2030.
Read more about the company here: https://www.bestmag.co.uk/voltfang-secures-e15m-to-expand-battery-storage
Image: (L–R): Cedric Gouloumes, Rob Moore, and Charlie Vrignon will spearhead Connected Energy’s growth in France. Credit: Connected Energy
