In Förderstedt near Staßfurt, a battery storage system is being built that is unprecedented in Germany – and at the same time reveals how limited the benefits of such large-scale systems are for the power grid. With a capacity of more than 700 megawatt-hours, this storage system will theoretically hold enough electrical energy for approximately 500,000 households. However, this is only for a little over two hours and at a cost of more than 20 cents per kilowatt-hour. For an industrially driven energy system, this remains an expensive stopgap, not a structural solution to the fundamental problems of the energy transition. (welt: 04.11.25)
Electricity storage systems as grid buffers for short periods
Electricity storage systems like this one absorb electrical energy when the power fed into the grid from wind or solar power temporarily exceeds current demand or the grid’s transmission capacity. Such situations occur regularly, particularly in northern Germany. In these cases, it’s not possible to immediately use all the generated wind energy, so this electricity must be temporarily stored or curtailed. The energy buffer mitigates this problem – but only for a maximum of two hours, not for days.
The project in Förderstedt is entirely privately financed and implemented without government subsidies. The estimated costs are approximately 250 million euros. However, despite this independence, a significant economic burden remains: According to calculations by energy economist Veronika Grimm, one kilowatt-hour stored in large-scale batteries currently costs over 21 cents. This is reflected in grid fees and ultimately in consumer prices. A power storage system of this magnitude is therefore considered in the industry as a tool for short-term stabilization – not as the foundation for a secure energy future.
Short-term relief, not a permanent solution for the energy transition
The fundamental challenge persists: During prolonged periods of low renewable energy production, such as in windless winter phases, a storage system with only a few hours of reserve capacity is insufficient. The energy demand of industry, households, and infrastructure far exceeds the capabilities of such battery concepts. While short-term bottlenecks can be bridged, a supply gap opens up during longer periods of low renewable energy generation. Experts like Michael Sterner therefore emphasize the need for complementary technologies, particularly hydrogen storage and other long-term storage solutions.
Efficiency on a small scale, limitations on a large scale
Electricity storage systems of this type play an important, but limited, role: they stabilize the power grid for short periods and reduce short-term grid interventions and curtailments. However, they do not replace system-wide regulation or seasonal energy security. A supply network that dispenses with flexible long-term storage, grid optimization, and load management remains vulnerable—even with the largest batteries. From this perspective, the electricity storage facility in Staßfurt reveals the tension between technological progress and systemic limitations.
It is a modern energy storage system that has a localized effect but does not address structural bottlenecks. A project that impressively demonstrates scale, but in essence remains little more than a temporary energy solution—without widespread impact on a secure, economical, and reliable energy transition.