GIGA Storage, a Netherlands-based clean energy company, has secured an irrevocable permit to construct a 600MW/2.4 gigawatt-hour (GWh) battery energy storage system (BESS) in Belgium.

The approval will clear the way to securing financing for the project, known as the GIGA Green Turtle.

The project will be situated in Dilsen-Stokkem, eastern Belgium, adjacent to a new 380kV high-voltage station operated by Elia, the transmission system operator.

The location is strategically placed on the high-voltage line from Van Eyck to Gramme, optimising its connection to the grid.

Previously, the industrial estate designated for the BESS project was the site of a zinc factory.

Prior to GIGA Storage purchasing the land from the owners of the factory, another energy company had intentions to build a battery project at the location.

The BESS project will comprise 20 batteries, each paired with an inverter, 185 medium-voltage transformers, five high-voltage transformers with a combined capacity of 1,500 megavolt amperes, and a 25,650m² planting zone surrounding the battery park.

GIGA Green Turtle is designed to store the equivalent energy used by 330,000 families annually and will contribute to the electricity grid.

The commencement of construction is slated for 2025, with the project expected to be operational by 2028.

The journey towards the project’s approval began in December of the previous year when GIGA Storage applied for an environmental permit from the city of Dilsen-Stokkem.

Following a public inquiry earlier this year, the project received a positive decision on the environmental permit, clearing the way for its development.

In January this year, GIGA Storage CEO Ruud Nijs said: “With these types of large energy storage projects, we contribute to energy security, during but also after the energy transition from fossil to renewable. By developing large-scale energy storage at strategic locations, energy prices will become more stable and we will become less dependent on the import of (fossil) energy.

“Although this project will be the largest battery in Europe, much more storage capacity will be needed in the coming years. GIGA Storage wants to continue to play an important role in this with its ambition of 5GW of installed capacity by 2030.”