Germany Opens Innovation Tender and Biomethane Auction as RWE Builds Giant Battery at Hambach Mine

Germany launched a 475 MW innovation tender and a 300 MW biomethane auction on July 28, while RWE started constructing a 236 MW battery storage at the former Hambach opencast mine.

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Germany advanced its energy transition on July 28 with two new support mechanisms and a major battery storage project at a former coal mine.

The Federal Network Agency opened a 475 MW innovation tender and a 300 MW biomethane auction on the same day, both designed to promote flexible and renewable energy technologies. The innovation tender targets projects that combine renewable generation with storage or sector coupling, while the biomethane auction supports the production of green gas.

Separately, RWE is constructing a large-scale battery storage system at the Hambach opencast mine in North Rhine-Westphalia. The first of 128 lithium-ion battery containers has been delivered to the site, marking a key milestone for the project. The facility will have a capacity of 236 MW and 470 MWh, making it one of the largest battery storage systems in Germany. It is scheduled to come on stream in 2027.

The battery will store excess renewable energy and feed it back into the grid when needed, helping to stabilize the power system as coal and nuclear plants are phased out. The Hambach mine, once a symbol of Germany's coal dependence, is being repurposed for the energy transition.

Together, the tenders and the battery project underscore Germany's push to integrate more renewables and flexibility into its power grid.