Centrica Energy is pleased to announce the signing of a optimisation agreement with Aukera Energy for its largest battery energy storage investment to date, covering a large‑scale battery park with a capacity of 170 MW and a total storage volume of 340 MWh under construction in La Louviere, Belgium.

The agreement represents a significant partial tolling agreement entered into in Belgium and is underwritten through a partial fixed‑price structure. Once operational, the battery will be optimised through Centrica Energy’s established multi‑market trading and optimisation services, enabling participation across Day‑Ahead, Intraday, the Imbalance market and Ancillary Services in Belgium.

 

Grid scale batteries will play a critical role in supporting further renewable penetration in Belgium by facilitating the integration of intermittent generation, enhancing system balancing, and improving overall grid stability.

 

Centrica Energy’s optimisation approach combines experienced human traders with algorithmic and data-driven tools, where algorithms analyse market data, generate signals and execute trades in real time, while traders provide oversight, validate strategies and manage risk, enabling battery capacity to be dynamically allocated across wholesale and ancillary service markets under a clear framework ensuring transparency, control and governance.

It has been a pleasure to partner with Aukera Energy on this agreement, which brings our managed BESS capacity across the Nordics, Belgium and the UK close to 1 GW. The addition of this large scale two-hour battery strengthens the role storage plays in balancing increasingly volatile power systems. Our ability to underwrite agreements of this scale, alongside leading investors and technology partners, reflects both our optimisation expertise and our strength as a long-term, bankable partner.

Cassim Mangerah
Managing Director, Centrica Energy

The Aukera Energy BESS project is backed by equity commitments from AtlasInvest, S-FPIM (the Belgian Sovereign Wealth Fund) and Reggeborgh, reflecting long-term confidence in the asset and its underlying fundamentals. Debt financing has been arranged through a robust syndicate of Lenders, including Triodos, ABN AMRO, Wallonie Entreprendre, Socofe and Infra4Belgium, whose participation underscores the bankability of the project and reinforcing the market’s confidence in Centrica’s capability to provide robust, bankable contracts that support project financing.

We are delighted to bring Project Volt that marks our entry into the Belgian BESS market to financial close and look forward to our collaboration with Centrica to operate this asset which will contribute to the stability of the Belgian grid.

Bozkurt Aydinoglu
Chief Commercial Officer, Aukera

About Aukera Energy
Aukera develops, finances, constructs and operates renewable energy and battery storage infrastructure across Europe. Aukera currently has 810 MW in construction or operation across its core geographies of GB, Belgium, Germany and Romania with a progressed pipeline also in Italy. Aukera was founded in 2021 by experienced renewable energy executives Pascal Emsens and Catalin Breaban and is headquartered in Brussels.

 

About Centrica Energy
Centrica Energy is the energy trading and optimisation arm of Centrica plc, responsible for managing commodity risk and sourcing energy on behalf of Centrica Group’s energy supply activities.

Centrica Energy is a global energy trading company which helps move energy from source to use powering businesses, homes, and societies. Across 8 offices on three continents, and with 800+ passionate and highly skilled energy experts, they trade power, gas, liquified natural gas and green certificates, connecting energy producers, suppliers and offtakers in wholesale energy markets.

 

Centrica Energy is one of the largest renewable asset managers in Europe, with over 18.6 GW of renewable and flexible capacity under management.