In Kluisbergen’s Stroomlaan, traffic has been restricted for several weeks. Workers are welding gigantic pipes that will form a 2-kilometer underground connection to the high-voltage station in Avelgem. The pipes are part of the Storm battery park project in Ruien, with a capacity of 200 MW and 800 MWh. A second permit application, for another 170 MW, is being evaluated.

(Staff: Belgium / Energy & Infrastructure)

For several weeks, drivers in Kluisbergen’s Stroomlaan have encountered traffic lights and closed lanes. A section of the road is restricted to allow the welding of impressively large pipes. These will form an underground connection of 2 kilometres to the high-voltage station in Avelgem. The aim is to connect the future Storm battery park in Ruien to the electricity grid.

Why are these pipes needed?

According to company representatives, the pipes now at the battery park construction site in Ruien are being welded together. They will be used for connection to the electricity grid at Avelgem. A directional drilling operation under the Scheldt was recently carried out, and if everything goes according to plan, the pipes will be pulled through this long tunnel by the end of September.

The drilling takes place in three stages. Pilot drilling has been completed. The widening of the borehole is currently under way. The pipes will then be pulled into the ground.

Thick and thin pipes, each with their own role

The construction site contains both thick and thin pipes. The thick ones are intended for power cables, while the thinner ones are for communications, grounding connections and other utilities. All of these are needed for the battery park to operate safely and at full capacity.

Why Avelgem and not Ruien?

The connection is being made at Avelgem because the high-voltage station in Ruien does not have enough capacity for the 200 MW battery park. The new Ventilus line will also reach Avelgem, making this station the appropriate energy hub for the project.

Battery park: 180 containers, 200 MW, 800 MWh

Work on the battery park in Ruien has already begun. The site will contain 180 containers with lithium-ion batteries. Total capacity will be 200 MW, corresponding to a storage capacity of 800 MWh. Everything should be operational within a year.

Second park awaiting approval

In parallel, Storm has submitted a permit application for a second battery park of 170 MW, right next to the current site. The permit procedure and grid-connection study are still under way, so there is not yet a final decision on its realization.

If the permit is granted for the second park, Ruien would have a total battery capacity of 495 MW.

A broader context

The Ruien project is not unique. A third battery park is described as having a capacity equivalent to 60,000 household batteries, and the location is considered “unique” because of the existing infrastructure. These investments form part of the broader effort to balance the electricity grid, store energy from renewable sources and increase the flexibility of the Belgian energy system.

Conclusion

The construction site in Kluisbergen and Ruien is a concrete example of the ongoing energy transition. The 2 kilometres of welded pipes, the drilling under the Scheldt and the lithium-ion battery containers are not merely infrastructure works, but essential steps towards a more stable and greener electricity grid. It remains to be seen whether the second park will receive its permit and whether Ruien will become, as the plans suggest, one of Belgium’s most important energy-storage hubs.