Energy storage is the missing link in the energy transition

Ocean Grazer BV successfully completed the first live test phase of the Ocean Battery energy storage system in Eemshaven. 'We have already been able to prove the technical functioning and efficiency with this prototype, now it is time for the next step,' says CEO Frits Bliek. 'The energy transition cannot succeed without energy storage. We are ready, and so is the market.'

Ocean Battery is a modular system that is placed on the seabed near the wind turbines, which can be used flexibly, regardless of scale and circumstances. The operation of the Ocean Battery resembles a hydroelectric power station, like a dam. This is a durable, proven technique that requires hardly any maintenance.

How does the Bliek system work: 'We place a reservoir filled with water at the bottom of the sea. To store energy, Ocean Battery empties this reservoir against the pressure of the sea. When there is a demand for energy, the water flows back into the reservoir that drives turbines that generate electricity. This is a very efficient process and the technology extremely reliable.'

Test Ocean Battery is tested via a carefully mapped out route to be able to discover and exclude the highest risks at a relatively low cost. For the next phase, the project will move to a sand quarry, where a real-scale model with dimensions of 70 by 70 meters will be placed on the bottom. Here the conditions are almost the same as on the seabed, where Ocean Battery will eventually do its work. Only after this phase has passed, the system will be tested on the open sea.

In the sand quarry, the test model is coupled to floating solar panels. 'This is how we can show that the system works excellently, both technically and economically,' says Bliek. 'That is interesting information for producers and other stakeholders, where you see that Ocean Battery also combines well with other forms of renewable energy production.' In 2023, the system can be put into operation and will be certified.