Centrica Energy and Montea sign agreement to provide optimisation services for battery energy storage systems across Belgium

Centrica Energy, and Montea, a leading developer and investor in logistics real estate across Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, have today announced signing of an agreement to provide optimisation services for large-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) across Montea’s site in Belgium. The batteries are manufactured and delivered by iwell (also provides EMS on these sites), Qpower, and C-Battery, whilst strategic advisory and project execution is managed by Arcade, the Belgian-based engineering and consulting firm.

As a member of the BEL®ESG Index, Montea is one of the 20 Belgian listed businesses with the lowest environmental, social, and governance risk scores. The company recently launched its Track27 growth plan and targets a 45% reduction in carbon footprint by 2027 and an expansion of battery storage capacity to 100MWh. As part of this commitment, Montea will invest €50 million in battery energy storage systems supporting the energy transition for clients whilst delivering revenue and supporting grid balancing through participation in Intraday, Day-Ahead, aFRR, and FCR markets.

“Our logistics centers are industry-leading in sustainability, but we are determined to continue shrinking our ecological footprint and supporting the electricity grid. We aim to double solar power on our roofs and invest heavily in battery parks, guaranteeing customers reliable energy supplies whilst taking an active role in the energy transition. We always take a forward-looking approach, creating warehouses that are ready for the future.” said Dirk Van Buggenhout, Chief Sustainability Officer at Montea.

Under the agreement, Centrica Energy will optimise 12.5MW / 29.5MWh of BESS, integrating with existing energy management system providers Tibo Energy and Iwell, and the balancing-responsible party BEE, to maximise the value of grid support services whilst facilitating further growth of renewable generation technologies.

Centrica Energy will leverage its proprietary FlexPond multi-market optimisation algorithm for bidding and dispatching batteries, enabling the optimisation of battery revenues without the risk of breaching asset, site, or grid constraints through accounting for battery warranty constraints, forecasted and live battery availability, and site-to-grid connection limitations.

“It has been a pleasure establishing this strategic partnership with Montea, who have delivered significant investments and are taking an active part in the energy transition. This agreement demonstrates our ability to rapidly integrate and cooperate with existing EMS providers, and as the route-to-market and optimisation service provider, demonstrates the capabilities we have developed to effectively capture revenue whilst supporting grid balancing and renewable penetration. We look forward to further building on our partnership in the future.” said Kristian Gjerløv-Juel, Vice President of Renewable Energy Trading & Optimisation.

About Montea “SPACE FOR GROWTH”
Montea NV is a listed real estate company under Belgian law (GVV/SIR) that specializes in logistics property in Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and Germany. The company is a leading player in this market. Montea offers its clients the space they need to grow, providing versatile and innovative property solutions, allowing Montea to create value for its shareholders. At September 30, 2024 the property portfolio comprises a total lettable area of 2,026,463 m², spread across 99 locations. Montea NV has been listed on Euronext Brussels (MONT) and Euronext Paris (MONTP) since the end of 2006.

About Centrica Energy
Centrica Energy is the trading and optimisation arm of Centrica plc, operating out of eight offices across all time zones to move energy from source to use. We are a leading provider of energy management and optimisation services to business, in addition to managing commodity risk and providing wholesale market access for the Centrica group. We have 16 GW of capacity under contract in Europe of which approximately 80% is renewable assets. In short, we call ourselves Energy Movers by Nature – driven by the purpose of energising a greener, fairer future.