Amprion Signs First Grid Connection Deal for Large-Scale Battery

On 14 October 2026, Amprion and GIGA Storage finalised an agreement that will link GIGA Storage's Albatross battery energy storage system to the transmission system operator's 380 kV grid.

The signing took place at GIGA Storage's office in Dortmund, with Dr Christoph Müller, CEO of Amprion, and Kevin Dijkers, CEO of GIGA Storage, putting pen to paper.

A first for Amprion and a German debut for GIGA Storage

The agreement is the first grid connection contract Amprion has ever concluded for a large-scale battery storage project. For GIGA Storage, the deal carries equal weight.

Albatross is the Dutch-founded company's first utility-scale battery project in Germany, and it reached Ready to Build status earlier in October 2026. With the grid connection now contractually secured, the project has cleared a central hurdle on its path to construction and eventual operation.

Siting and specifications

Albatross will be located in the Samtgemeinde Neuenkirchen in Lower Saxony, directly adjacent to Amprion's Merzen substation. The facility is designed with a capacity of 350 MW and 1,400 MWh. In operation, it will absorb electricity from the grid at times when generation outstrips demand and return it when supply is tight. Commissioning is targeted for 2028.

Flexibility for a renewables-heavy system

The project arrives against the backdrop of a power system in which the share of wind and solar in electricity generation keeps rising. That shift increases the need for flexibility to balance fluctuating supply and demand.

Large-scale batteries such as Albatross shift electricity from periods of abundance to periods of scarcity, supporting the integration of renewable generation and enabling more efficient use of the existing grid infrastructure.

Road to commissioning

Following the signing, GIGA Storage expressed thanks to both the Amprion team and its own staff for bringing the grid connection agreement to completion, adding that it is excited about what comes next.

With the connection agreement in hand and Ready to Build status achieved, the company's focus now shifts to advancing Albatross toward its planned commissioning in 2028.