Enlight Renewable Energy (TASE: ENLT; NASDAQ: ENLT) and ENERTRAG SE announced yesterday the official start of construction work on the Bertikow battery storage project in Brandenburg, following the ground-breaking ceremony held on 13 October at the project site. The ceremony was attended by representatives from Enlight, ENERTRAG and 50Hertz, as well as politicians, partners and local residents.
Bertikow is a large-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) with a capacity of 200 MW and an energy storage capacity of around 840 MWh. It is a joint project between Enlight and ENERTRAG.
The project is situated directly next to the Bertikow substation in the municipality of Uckerfelde; the land rights and grid connection have been secured. The transition from the development phase to the construction phase has been completed, and construction work is already underway. Commissioning is currently scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2027, with commercial operation due to commence in the first half of 2028.
Once it becomes operational, Bertikow is expected to participate in the German day-ahead and intraday energy markets, as well as in the balancing energy markets, and to help balance electricity supply and demand by providing flexibility.
A seven-year off-take agreement has been signed with EDF Trading for part of the storage capacity. The agreement marks Enlight’s first BESS off-take transaction in Europe and signals the company’s entry into the German battery storage market. The facility is being optimised by Entrix.
Osborne Clarke acted as legal advisers to Enlight and ENERTRAG in connection with the acquisition.
Comments from the companies
Marko Liposcak, Managing Director of Enlight Europe:
“As renewable energy continues to expand across Europe, large-scale energy storage systems are becoming increasingly important for the flexibility and reliability of electricity grids. Bertikow is a prime example of how such projects can help meet these changing requirements, whilst further strengthening Enlight’s presence in the European energy storage market. Together with ENERTRAG, we are delighted to mark the start of construction and to take another important step towards the commissioning of this project.”
Dr Gunar Hering, CEO of ENERTRAG:
“Bertikow is proof that the energy transition works in practice. We store surplus electricity from renewable energy sources and feed it into the grid precisely when it is most urgently needed: in this way, we provide reliable green electricity round the clock and keep the value added within the region.”
Stefan Schlüter, Head of the DACH Region at EDF Trading:
“The expansion of battery storage across Europe is driving demand for increasingly sophisticated commercial solutions. This agreement combines revenue security with commercial flexibility and demonstrates how innovative procurement structures can support the roll-out of large-scale storage facilities. We look forward to working with Enlight, ENERTRAG and Entrix on the Bertikow project.”
Constantin Nicklas, Chief Revenue Officer at Entrix: “There need not be a conflict of objectives
between bankability and earnings potential. Together with ENERTRAG, Enlight and EDF Trading, we have created a structure that maximises the returns from Bertikow without compromising our partners’ risk profile or financing requirements.”
