Japan battery construction starts; Entech wins French storage EPC; MaxSolar begins German grid battery
AMP-lify began building a 50 MW/200 MWh battery storage facility in Mihama, Japan, after securing about ¥6.48 billion in financing from ING, with commercial operation targeted for 2027. Entech won a nearly €40 million turnkey EPC contract for a 90 MW/180 MWh battery project in France, including a high-voltage substation and five years of O&M. MaxSolar and N-ergie Netz started construction on a 20 MW/100 MWh grid-support battery near Winterschneidbach in Germany.
AMP-lify's Mihama project is a four-hour, 50 MW/200 MWh storage system backed by roughly ¥6.48 billion from ING, which served multiple financing roles. It is expected to earn through wholesale trading, balancing, and capacity markets, with a separate 2 MW/8 MWh auxiliary unit. The developer aims to add over 1 GWh of grid-scale capacity between 2027 and 2030.
Entech's contract covers a 90 MW/180 MWh French battery, including a 90 kV substation connection and five years of maintenance. MaxSolar and N-ergie Netz are building a five-hour, 20 MW/100 MWh battery near Winterschneidbach, selected after a competitive process with more than 20 bidders.
These projects could affect local communities, grid operators, and electricity users by adding flexible storage that may ease network constraints and support more renewable generation. In Japan and France, merchant and capacity-market revenues might influence investment confidence, while Germany's grid-support model may help distribution networks integrate new renewables. Construction and maintenance could create short-term local work, though benefits and disruptions may vary by site. Overall, the developments may contribute to more reliable power systems, but their societal impact may depend on operation, market rules, and community engagement.