Developing a large battery: eight steps to commissioning
A large battery is not a purchase order. Eight steps show up in almost every project. Duration depends on the site. I accompany the order. I do not build the plant.
1. Land and use
Without land that can actually be used there is no site and no counterpart at the network operator. What stands there today, who owns it, and whether demand or generation already has a connection, has to be clear.
2. Grid connection, early
The preliminary enquiry and the formal request belong at the front. Since April 2026 the transmission grid adds the maturity process. On the distribution grid the operator’s rules apply, including a possible reservation and a construction-cost contribution.
3. Revenue model
Before hardware is firmly ordered, it has to be clear which market will carry the time window. A battery stays with one job per window. Balancing energy requires the 1 MW minimum, alone or in a cluster.
4. Permission, depending on the place
Depending on size, height and the federal state, land-use planning or an immission-control procedure may be added. Whether that applies is a question for the specific project, not a threshold on this page. Local planners settle it.
5. Technology and supply contract
Capacity, energy, warranty and lead time belong in a contract that matches the revenue assumption. A cell that arrives later than the connection offer is valid moves the whole project.
6. Finance and the investment decision
Finance follows the uncertain items: connection, contribution, permission, lead time. Anyone thinking about grandfathering under the AgNeS draft is holding an investment decision against a text that, on 7 October 2026, was not decided.
7. Construction
Building, foundations, fire protection and commissioning tests are done by the firms hired for them. I do not build and I do not run a site as a general contractor.
8. Commissioning and marketing
Commissioning starts registration, the marketing contract and, where required, prequalification. The marketer runs the markets. I close the loop on whether connection, contract and dispatch still fit together.
In the same context
Accompaniment, not construction and not marketing. Permission is decided by the authority at the site.
Common questions
Do you build the battery?
No. I accompany the order of land, connection, revenue and contracts. Construction and operation stay with the companies hired for them.
How long do the eight steps take?
I do not name a general span in months. Connection procedures, permission and lead time set the path, and they differ by site.
Does every battery pass all eight steps?
A battery on an existing connection does not skip the reading of the contract, but it does not start from zero. Co-location is a different first question from an empty site.