BW ESS has acquired two standalone battery energy storage systems (BESS) from Recurrent Energy in France.
Both projects have a capacity of 100 MW/400 MWh and are located in the regions of Calvados and Eastern Pyrenees. The two BESS assets are in advanced development, according to BW ESS, and the company said it will work with Recurrent Energy as the projects are brought into construction and operation.
The purchase marks BW ESS’s first foray into the French market, and the seventh market for the company globally. BW ESS said that the acquisition represents a significant step and the company plans to own more energy storage in France in the future.
Erik Strømsø, CEO and co-founder of BW ESS, described the purchase as a “natural next step”.
“These acquisitions give us an immediate 200 MW / 800 MWh platform in the country and provide a strong foundation for building a sizeable French portfolio. France has a strong nuclear base, but it also has a growing need for flexibility as weather-sensitive demand and an evolving generation mix create more variable system conditions.
“Batteries can complement France’s nuclear backbone by adding the rapid-response flexibility needed to balance the system, absorb surplus power and make low-carbon generation available when it is most valuable,” Strømsø said.
Recurrent Energy CEO Dylan Marx said the transaction shows the developer’s ability to create value through high-quality BESS projects. “It is a strong testament to the BESS platform we have built in France and our ability to keep scaling it.”
Hams Hall financing
The Recurrent Energy deal quickly follows BW ESS announcing a major financing deal on Oct. 21 for the 400 MW/1,424 MWh Hams Hall BESS in the United Kingdom – on course to be become Europe’s largest operational site in MWh terms when it enters commercial operations.
BW ESS has secured debt financing for the Hams Hall site from lenders OCBC, Rabobank and Societe Generale. The three lenders will provide the debt facility in equal proportions with Rabobank acting as facility agent. The transaction is expected to close at the project’s commercial operations date.
Located next to National Grid’s Hams Hall substation, Hams Hall BESS is expected to initially deliver 350 MW/1,243 MWh of storage capacity, rising to 400 MW/1,424 MWh on completion of a second phase at the site. Long-term revenues for the first phase of the project are underpinned by a 10-year floor and optimization agreement signed with EDF earlier in 2026.
The first phase of Hams Hall is expected to enter operation before the end of 2026.
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