• The innovative battery technology of Altech Batteries GmbH meets renewable energy supply by ENERTRAG SE and Energiequelle GmbH. A 24/7 green power solution is being developed jointly via Referenzkraftwerk Lausitz GmbH.
• The aim of the partnership is to supply the Altech plant in Schwarze Pumpe with green energy around the clock using advanced sodium-ion battery technology.
• The first results of this cooperation are expected at Schwarze Pumpe Industrial Park from the beginning of 2027.

Schwarze Pumpe, December 4, 2024 - Altech Batteries GmbH is aiming for a 100 percent green energy supply for its plant in Schwarze Pumpe. The aim is to operate the plant around the clock exclusively with regionally generated renewable energy from wind power and photovoltaic systems. To achieve this goal, it has signed a Letter of Intent ("LoI") with ENERTRAG SE, Energiequelle GmbH and Referenzkraftwerk Lausitz GmbH (RefLau). Altech's battery storage solutions are to be used to ensure security of supply.

Focus on local value creation

The cooperation between all partners involved underlines the importance of the energy transition as a driver for the regional economy. Municipalities in Lusatia benefit directly from the use of local areas for wind and solar parks through lease payments, business tax revenues and funding from the so-called "wind and solar euro". These funds offer long-term financial prospects and enable investment in regional projects.

The project also strengthens the expansion of modern energy storage solutions in the region. Altech's battery technology is not only produced locally, but is also used in Lusatia, which means that the value chain is fully anchored in the region. This creates jobs, increases economic power and presents Lusatia as a showcase for green technologies.

A milestone for the green future of Lusatia

By signing the LoI, Altech, ENERTRAG, Energiequelle and RefLau are sending a strong signal for the transformation of an industrial park towards a renewable energy supply for Lusatia and beyond. The project shows how a reliable and CO₂-neutral energy supply can be realized by combining renewable energies with energy storage solutions.

At the same time, the project serves as a blueprint for similar projects in Germany and Europe. A self-sufficient, hybrid energy island solution, which is to be created in the Schwarze Pumpe industrial park, sets standards for decentralized energy supply.

Content of the collaboration

The partnership focuses on the design and development of the energy island. The first CERENERGY ceramic solid-state batteries from Altech will be used as temporary energy storage units to feed the renewable energy generated into the energy island or the power grid on a time-delayed basis as required. The first energy storage units can be delivered by Altech at the end of 2026. Altech will also purchase green electricity from its partners in the region for the planned production plant. In Schwarze Pumpe, Altech is planning to build a production plant for CERENERGY battery packs with an annual capacity of 120 MWh.

Statements from the parties involved

Altech Batteries GmbH:

"The Schwarze Pumpe industrial park is going green. Altech with its innovative battery storage systems plays a decisive role in this. We are delighted to have concluded the LOI with Enertrag, Energiequelle and the Lausitz reference power plant. This is the second LOI we have signed with strong partners in the region in a very short space of time, following the Schwarze Pumpe Industrial Park Special Purpose Association. With this letter of intent, we are well on the way to fully utilizing our annual production as planned. This is a great success and another important step towards realizing the outstanding financing for the planned production plant." - Uwe Ahrens, Member of the Management Board of Altech Advanced Materials AG

ENERTRAG SE:

"As a company from the Uckermark region, we are delighted to be working with our partners to further develop a building block for Altech's innovative battery technology with the help of green electricity. This partnership shows how renewable energies and regional value creation are driving forward the industrial transformation in Lusatia." - Christoph Menzel, Project Manager at Enertrag.

Energiequelle GmbH:

"The memorandum of understanding shows once again that it is important to take energy supply into our own hands. With the branch in Spremberg, Energiequelle has been represented in the region since 2021 in order to project renewable energies locally and to assume the associated local responsibility. Lusatia has been an energy region to date and should retain this status in the course of the energy transition. This requires residents, businesses and industry to be supplied with energy from renewable sources and energy storage systems. Our LoI combines these points in that both the energy and the storage have multiple values for the region," says Robert Ebermann, team leader at Energiequelle

Referenzkraftwerk Lausitz GmbH:

"The signing of the LoI makes it clear that green electricity as well as its 24/7 availability is a decisive location factor. RefLau is proud to be able to use this agreement to drive forward its innovative approaches with a well-known partner at the site. The entire solution will be designed in such a way that other industrial companies and municipalities can benefit from these energy solutions over the course of the project and the wind turbines to be erected will rotate 100% for the citizens around the Schwarze Pumpe industrial park." - Ben Schüppel, Managing Director of Referenzkraftwerk Lausitz GmbH