As Finland takes on more renewable energy sources to meet carbon neutrality goals by 2035, Sargent & Lundy is helping stabilize the country’s grid by supporting the installation of additional battery energy storage systems.
The firm recently completed a due diligence assessment and evaluation of the technical viability of a 30-megawatt/36-megawatt hour BESS in the southern Finnish town of Valkeakoski, about 90 miles north of Helsinki. The assessment was conducted for Merus Power, a Finnish technology company that is developing and delivering the BESS on behalf of Swiss energy services provider Alpiq.
“Sargent & Lundy leveraged our technical expertise and extensive experience in supporting project financing of utility-scale BESS projects,” said Faysal Pirmohamed, the senior energy consultant overseeing the study. “This will be one of the largest electricity storage systems in Finland and will provide the quick response needed to stabilize the grid when renewable energy production fluctuates.”
The Sargent & Lundy project team conducted a thorough technical due diligence and assessment of Merus Power. The due diligence focused on all critical technical project aspects, which were independently reviewed to identify potential issues and their corresponding mitigation measures. The study accounted for the challenging Nordic weather by evaluating the operating conditions and safety of housing the BESS in a specially designed shelter. The new BESS plant is expected to be operational in summer 2025. Pirmohamed said demand for BESS plants to stabilize the grid is strong across the Nordic market, and Sargent & Lundy is involved in a number of potential future projects.
