Luxcara, a leading independent German asset manager for clean energy infrastructure projects, has acquired a 520 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) project in Waltrop, Germany. Luxcara will construct the project on an unused site that developers had originally designed for a coal-fired power plant. As one of the largest BESS projects in Germany to date, it has already secured grid capacity and will operate under a tolling agreement.
The BESS plant is located near the town of Dortmund in North Rhine-Westphalia, strategically placed in Germany’s federal state with the largest demand for power. A dense concentration of heavy industry defines the region, and it occupies a critical node in the European power system. With direct access to the 380 kV transmission grid, the site offers system-level flexibility, strengthens grid resilience, and accelerates the integration of renewable energy across central European power corridors. Luxcara is now repurposing the unused industrial site into clean energy transition infrastructure.
Luxcara’s investment comprises the development, construction, and operation of a large-scale BESS facility with a power capacity of 520 MW and an expected energy capacity of 1,040 MWh. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026.
The project forms part of the large-scale Waltrop Battery Park, with a combined total power capacity of 900 MW and an expected energy capacity of 1,800 MWh, making it one of the largest BESS parks in Germany to date. Luxcara is collaborating with BKW AG, an international energy and infrastructure company based in Bern, Switzerland, and Trianel GmbH, a German municipal utility cooperation with a focus on energy trading and procurement, project development, and support for municipal utilities. The project is currently undergoing review by the Federal Cartel Office.
“With this BESS project, we are not only expanding our clean infrastructure portfolio but placing it exactly where grid flexibility is needed most. Moreover, repurposing a brownfield site formerly designed to develop a coal-fired power plant stands as a clear symbol of Luxcara’s continued commitment to driving the energy transition.”
– Alexander Lüntzel, Investment Manager at Luxcara.
“With our project in Waltrop, we are taking a major step towards creating a more flexible and stable energy system in Europe. Large-scale batteries enable us to store renewable energy intelligently and take targeted action. BKW can use its extensive expertise along the entire energy transition value chain, from planning, building and operating the large-scale infrastructure through to marketing the energy for trading.”
– Robert Itschner, CEO of BKW.
“With the increasing volatility of renewable energies, it is becoming imperative to invest specifically in flexibility. Flexibility is the key to a successful energy transition. Battery storage systems in particular are ideal for stabilizing the overall system in a way that serves both the market and the grid. We are delighted to be implementing this nationwide outstanding project together with two strong partners who share our deep conviction in the need to make the energy system more flexible to ensure the success of the energy transition.”
– Sven Becker, spokesperson of the management board of Trianel.
Luxcara
It is an independent asset manager offering equity and debt investment opportunities to international, institutional investors in the global clean energy infrastructure market. The Hamburg-based company acquires, structures, finances and operates clean infrastructure projects with a long-term, buy-build-operate approach for the clean energy transition. Luxcara’s longstanding focus on unsubsidized markets has made the company one of Europe’s most prominent investors in projects with long-term power purchase agreements. The company’s portfolio includes clean energy infrastructure across Europe. Its track record, dating back to 2009, makes Luxcara one of the continent’s most experienced asset managers for clean energy investments.
