NGEN, a Slovenian company specialising in large-scale battery storage, has recently signed a contract with German state-owned gas giant Uniper to build a storage facility on the site of the Heyden power station in Petershagen. The 50 MW/100 MWh battery facility, worth nearly €50 million, is to become operational in 2025.

Employing 120 people, NGEN is currently present in ten European countries. Having entered the German market, it is also planning new projects in Poland, Italy, Portugal and Croatia.

NGEN director Roman Bernard spoke about the projects at a press conference at the company headquarters in Žirovnica, north of Bled, on 4 June. He said they were financing them with own funds.

The Petershagen facility is only the first in a series of deals NGEN is planning with Uniper in the next three years, while also being in talks with other German energy companies.

As Europe's largest economy, Germany has large wind farms, and thus a challenge how to store electricity to sell it when prices are favourable.

Bernard considers the Petershagen project to be important for Slovenian business and for the energy system that is slowly connecting Europe.

According to Uniper's website, the battery storage system will consist of 26 energy storage packs.

As part of the partnership with Uniper, NGEN will open its first office in Germany, in Frankfurt, to further consolidate its presence in the European energy market.

NGEN is also present in Austria, building a battery storage facility with a 80 MW/160 MWh capacity in Wagenham near Salzburg.

In Slovenia, the company is building the biggest energy storage facility in the country adjacent to the aluminium maker Talum in Kidričevo.

The €70 million project will have a capacity of 70 MW/140 MWh, with Bernard stressing that Slovenia will soon become a leader in Europe by energy storage per capita, which will be important as new solar plants come online.

Bernard said the company's vision is full digitalisation and decentralisation of Europe's energy system.

The company is expanding its headquarters in Žirovnica in anticipation of 80 new hires. Additionally, it has bought an office building nearby to build 40 homes for their future workers.