Vattenfall Secures 100 MW of Dutch Battery Capacity through Tolling Deal

Vattenfall has contracted 100 MW of capacity, corresponding to 400 MWh, at Royal Vopak's battery storage project under development near Meede in Groningen province. The arrangement takes the form of a tolling agreement, giving Vattenfall access to part of the planned facility so it can respond better to fluctuations in supply and demand on the electricity market. Vopak is developing and operating the large-scale battery system, which is designed for a total capacity of 150 MW with four hours of storage duration. Commercial commissioning is planned for the second quarter of 2028.

Why flexibility matters as renewables grow

Both companies point to rising shares of wind and solar in the electricity system as the driver behind the deal. Battery storage allows surpluses of renewably generated power to be captured when production is high and released when demand increases or renewable output falls.

According to Vattenfall, the agreement strengthens its position in flexibility services. The contract also moves Vattenfall closer to its stated goal of contracting at least 1.5 GW of battery storage capacity across its core markets. Erik Suichies, Head of Wholesale Energy at Vattenfall, welcomed the collaboration: "As our energy system becomes increasingly sustainable, flexibility plays a crucial role in keeping supply and demand in balance. Battery storage helps make better use of sustainable electricity and contributes to a more reliable and efficient energy system. We are therefore pleased with this collaboration with Vopak and gladly support the development of large-scale energy storage in the Netherlands."

The deal's significance for Vopak

For Vopak, the tolling agreement is described as an important milestone in expanding its electricity storage activities. Jarno Veldhoven, Vice President Business Development Battery Energy Storage Solutions at Vopak, said the company's goal is to help the world move forward.

He pointed to Vopak's reputation for the safe storage of essential energy products and said the company invests in infrastructure for the energy transition to contribute to a sustainable future. "As sustainable energy takes up an ever larger share of the energy mix, the need for battery storage systems also grows," Veldhoven said. "With our ambition to offer reliable and affordable battery solutions, we are delighted to welcome Vattenfall as a long-term partner."

Part of a wider contracting push by Vattenfall

The Vopak agreement is the most recent in a run of battery storage deals by Vattenfall. In August 2026, the company signed a long-term agreement with Return for Sirius, a 200 MW / 800 MWh facility in Winschoten, Groningen, which will be connected to the grid there. Earlier, in December 2025, Vattenfall contracted 100 MW (400 MWh) of capacity in the Leopard battery being built by Giga Storage, capacity it intends to use at its own discretion.

In a separate move announced in October 2026, Vattenfall said it is developing a flexible energy installation at the request of grid operator TenneT at its existing production location in Almere, intended to reduce pressure on the electricity grid in the Flevopolder, Gelderland and Utrecht.

Two Dutch energy players combine strengths

The collaboration pairs two long-standing participants in the Dutch energy sector. By linking Vopak's large-scale storage infrastructure with Vattenfall's market knowledge and expertise in flexibility optimisation, the companies say they aim to contribute to a more robust and future-proof electricity system.

They add that large-scale batteries are increasingly viewed as an essential component of the energy transition, enabling greater volumes of sustainable energy to be integrated into the grid while helping to use the existing electricity infrastructure more efficiently.