Energy investor DTEK and system integrator Fluence have initiated commissioning for a portfolio of six battery energy storage system (BESS) projects in Ukraine, totaling 200MW/400MWh capacity.
The projects, ranging from 20MW to 50MW and all providing 2-hour duration, are now undergoing commissioning, testing, and initial grid discharge. They utilize 689 units of Fluence’s Gridstack cubes, the company’s standard grid-scale DC block BESS solution. Fluence also offers the AC Smartstack and Ultrastack transmission solutions.
Commercial operations are scheduled for October 2025 under a contract with Ukrainian transmission operator Ukrenergo. Fluence was appointed system integrator in January 2024.
Notably, due to the ongoing war, this marks Fluence’s first project commissioned remotely. Twenty Ukrainian engineers received advanced training on Fluence projects in Germany and Finland to handle emergencies and malfunctions. Fluence will provide ongoing remote diagnostics, testing, and monitoring support.
Julian Nebreda, Fluence CEO, stated: “Our remote commissioning approach ensures continuity and efficiency amidst travel restrictions, enabling faster scaling for future deployments.”
The portfolio will deliver frequency regulation, power reserve, and balancing services to strengthen Ukraine’s grid, crucial during outages. DTEK is also expanding in Poland, acquiring a 532MWh BESS project in 2023.
