Recently, Chinese energy storage companies have successively secured large orders in the European market. CSI Energy Storage and CECB have landed energy storage system orders of 420 MWh in the UK and 140 MWh in Germany, respectively. Meanwhile, Time Energy Storage has also signed a supply agreement with a German company for up to 600 MWh of iron-chromium flow batteries.
CSI Energy Storage Secures 420 MWh Energy Storage Order in the UK
On March 31, Canadian Solar Inc. announced that its energy storage solutions subsidiary, CSI Energy Storage, will provide battery energy storage systems for two projects in the UK for Drax Group, a leading British renewable energy enterprise. The total capacity of the projects reaches 420 MWh.
The two projects under this collaboration are a 60 MW/120 MWh energy storage project located in Marfleet, England, and a 150 MW/300 MWh energy storage project in Neilston, Scotland.
Both projects were initially developed by Apatura, a UK-based energy infrastructure company specializing in the development of large-scale battery energy storage and digital infrastructure. They have now been acquired by Drax Group and will be integrated into its FlexGen (Flexible Generation and Dispatchable Resources) asset portfolio in the future.
Among them, equipment delivery for the Marfleet project is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2026, while the Neilston project is expected to commence equipment delivery in early 2027.
Under the agreement, CSI Energy Storage will supply its SolBank 3.0 battery energy storage systems for the aforementioned projects. Furthermore, based on a signed Long-Term Service Agreement (LTSA), the company will provide operational services covering the full lifecycle of the projects. This includes system operation monitoring, preventive maintenance, and performance analysis, ensuring the stable and efficient operation of the energy storage assets throughout their entire lifespan.
CECB Signs 140 MWh Energy Storage Order in Germany
On March 31, CECB and its German partner signed a cooperation agreement at the Xuchang manufacturing base. The agreement stipulates the provision of a total of 140 MWh of utility-scale energy storage system products for two critical nodes in the German power grid.
According to the agreement, CECB will provide comprehensive utility-scale energy storage solutions and complete sets of energy storage system equipment for the two projects. The projects are expected to be delivered and connected to the grid by the end of 2026.
It is reported that CECB is an energy Internet of Things (IoT) company specializing in the R&D, production, sales, and technical services of distributed energy storage and smart grid system products. It is one of the few energy storage enterprises in China that simultaneously masters core technologies such as distributed IoT energy storage systems, Energy Management Systems (EMS), modular Power Conversion Systems (PCS), and "smart black boxes" for energy storage power stations.
Time Energy Storage Signs 600 MWh Iron-Chromium Flow Battery Order in Germany
Recently, Suqian Time Energy Storage Technology Co., Ltd. signed a 600 MWh iron-chromium flow battery supply order with the German company Redox One. Concurrently, the two parties signed a long-term strategic cooperation agreement to carry out multi-dimensional, in-depth collaboration in the energy storage sector.
The focus of this collaboration includes four key aspects:
Co-building a core raw material supply chain for iron-chromium flow batteries: Leveraging the chromium ore resource advantages of Tharisa, Redox One's parent company, combined with Time Energy Storage's material purification and application technology, the two parties will create an integrated supply chain system from chromium mining and smelting to electrolyte production. This aims to resolve raw material supply bottlenecks for iron-chromium flow batteries and significantly reduce the cost of iron-chromium electrolytes, which is projected to drop to $25-$30/kWh by 2028.
Jointly conducting technological R&D and industrialization implementation: The partnership will focus on critical technical challenges such as improving energy density and optimizing the costs of iron-chromium flow batteries. The first batch of iron-chromium flow energy storage products has already completed factory acceptance testing and has been shipped to Europe.
Executing a 600 MWh iron-chromium flow energy storage system order: These systems will be prioritized for application in mines owned by Tharisa to facilitate a clean power supply for mining operations.
Jointly expanding into the global market: The companies will focus on strategic layouts in regions with robust energy storage demand, such as Africa, Europe, and Southeast Asia, to promote the large-scale application of iron-chromium flow batteries and assist in the clean transition of the global energy structure.
Source：EnergyTrend
