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BW ESS has acquired two battery storage projects in France, each rated at 100 MW/400 MWh, marking its entry into the market and adding 800 MWh to its planned portfolio. The deal follows financing arrangements for the UK’s Hams Hall project, which is expected to reach 1,424 MWh after a second phase and is described as on course to become Europe’s largest operational battery site by energy capacity.
BW ESS has acquired two standalone battery storage projects from Recurrent Energy in France, giving the energy storage company a planned 200 MW/800 MWh portfolio in a market it has not previously entered. The announcement follows BW ESS’s financing deal for its 1,424 MWh Hams Hall project in the United Kingdom, which is expected to become Europe’s largest operational battery site by energy capacity when complete, according to the company and the project report.
The French projects are in Calvados and the Eastern Pyrenees, and each is rated at 100 MW/400 MWh. BW ESS said both are in advanced development. It plans to work with Recurrent Energy as the projects move toward construction and operation; the announcement did not provide a construction schedule or expected start dates.
The acquisition makes France the seventh market globally for BW ESS. Chief Executive and co-founder Erik Strømsø said the projects provide a platform for the company to build a larger French portfolio. Recurrent Energy Chief Executive Dylan Marx said the transaction reflects the developer’s work in building its French battery storage platform. The companies did not disclose the purchase price.
The French deal follows BW ESS’s October 21 announcement of debt financing for Hams Hall BESS, a 400 MW project beside National Grid’s Hams Hall substation in the UK. OCBC, Rabobank and Société Générale are providing the debt facility in equal proportions, with Rabobank acting as facility agent. The financing transaction is expected to close at the project’s commercial operations date.
A French Platform and UK Scale
The acquisitions give BW ESS a foothold in France through two projects that are already in advanced development, rather than a plan to enter the market at an unspecified future date. Their combined 800 MWh represents the company’s announced starting platform in the country; further expansion is an intention, not a confirmed pipeline of additional projects.
The projects also illustrate how energy storage developers are building portfolios across multiple European electricity markets. Batteries can store electricity and discharge it later, providing flexibility as generation and demand vary. Strømsø argued that storage can complement France’s nuclear power fleet by responding quickly to system needs. That is the company’s assessment of the projects’ potential role; the announcement did not specify their grid services, revenue contracts or expected impact on electricity prices.
Hams Hall adds a separate financing and scale milestone in the UK. Its planned capacity would place it among Europe’s largest battery projects by stored energy, but the stated 1,424 MWh depends on completion of a second phase. The French purchase and UK financing show BW ESS pursuing growth on two fronts, while construction and operation remain ahead.
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How the Two Deals Connect
BW ESS’s French entry was reported after its October 21 Hams Hall financing announcement. The two developments concern different projects and countries: the Recurrent Energy transaction is an acquisition of two French assets, while the UK announcement concerns debt for a project BW ESS is developing at Hams Hall.
Hams Hall is planned in two stages. The first phase is expected to provide 350 MW/1,243 MWh; completion of a second phase would raise the site to 400 MW/1,424 MWh. The report says the first phase is expected to enter operation before the end of 2026. Long-term revenues for that phase are supported by a 10-year floor and optimization agreement with EDF, signed earlier in 2026. These terms apply to Hams Hall, not the newly acquired French projects.
BW ESS described the French acquisition as its first step into that market and said it intends to own more storage there. The source report identifies the company as an energy storage owner-operator, but does not set out a timetable for the wider French expansion.
“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.”
— Erik Strømsø, BW ESS chief executive and co-founder
Project Timelines and Terms
The companies have not disclosed the purchase price, the construction start dates for the French assets, or when either is expected to begin commercial operation. The announcement also does not identify the projects’ equipment suppliers, grid connection terms, revenue arrangements or whether additional French acquisitions are under negotiation.
For Hams Hall, the report says the first phase is expected to enter operation before the end of 2026, but that remains a forecast. The full 400 MW/1,424 MWh capacity depends on completion of the second phase, for which the source material gives no separate delivery date. The financing is expected to close at commercial operations, so the announcement does not establish that the debt transaction has already closed.
The description of Hams Hall as on course to become Europe’s largest operational site is based on its expected energy capacity. The material does not provide a comparison of every European project or confirm that the site has reached operational status.
Construction and Operations Milestones
BW ESS and Recurrent Energy say they will work together to bring the Calvados and Eastern Pyrenees projects into construction and operation. The next public milestones to watch for are construction schedules, confirmed grid and revenue arrangements, and commissioning dates for each site. BW ESS has said it plans further French growth, but has not announced specific additional projects.
At Hams Hall, the first phase is expected to enter operation before the end of 2026. The debt facility from OCBC, Rabobank and Société Générale is expected to close at commercial operations. Completion of the second phase would take the site from 350 MW/1,243 MWh to 400 MW/1,424 MWh; the timing for that expansion has not been stated.
Key Questions
What did BW ESS acquire in France?
BW ESS acquired two standalone battery storage projects from Recurrent Energy, one in Calvados and one in the Eastern Pyrenees. Each is rated at 100 MW/400 MWh.
Are the French battery projects operating?
No. BW ESS said they are in advanced development and that the companies will work together as they move toward construction and operation. No start dates were provided.
Why is Hams Hall described as Europe’s biggest battery project?
The report says Hams Hall is on course to become Europe’s largest operational battery site by energy capacity, with a planned 1,424 MWh after its second phase. The project is not yet confirmed as operational, and the full capacity depends on completing that phase.
Who is financing the Hams Hall project?
OCBC, Rabobank and Société Générale are providing debt in equal proportions. Rabobank is acting as facility agent, and the transaction is expected to close when the project reaches commercial operations.
Did BW ESS disclose the price of the French acquisition?
No. The source report did not disclose the purchase price or the projects’ expected construction and commercial operation dates.
Source: ess-news.com
