Interview with Hans van Stuivenberg of wattss Services AG
Every month, Energy Storage NL introduces a new member to its supporters. This month we meet wattss Services AG, a European developer, investor and operator of battery energy storage systems. In this interview, wattss Services AG shares its views on the energy storage market, the Dutch context and membership in Energy Storage NL.
Can you briefly describe what kind of company Watts Services AG is and what your role is within the company?
wattss Services AG is a project developer, investor and operator of BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems). We are active over the entire life cycle of storage solutions, from development and financing to realization and operation.
As Principal Consultant, my responsibilities include the financial substantiation, the bill of material, the role of (sub)contractors and the conclusion of contracts. I look beyond the contractual agreements. In large-scale BESS projects, unexpected challenges are inevitable. Then the question is not only what is contractually defined, but how parties interact with each other. Contracts are patient, but projects succeed mainly because of how parties interact with each other. The headquarters of wattss Services AG is in Frauenfeld, Switzerland. I myself live in ’t Gooi, which reinforces my involvement in the Dutch market.
What is wattss position within the European and Dutch energy storage market?
In Europe, wattss Services AG has been operating for several years now. We operate more than 300MWh of storage capacity in Switzerland, Germany and Finland. Further steps have recently been taken in Scandinavia. Conditions have been definitively agreed upon for several projects, including a large-scale 100MW BESS project in Sweden, which is now heading toward realization. We have been following the Dutch market for some time. The need for energy storage is evident, but the way in which projects are responsibly realized requires sharp choices.
How does wattss view scale and project type in the Netherlands?
For the Dutch market, our initial focus is on larger BESS projects of around 30 MW and larger. Due to the combination of grid congestion, permitting processes and financing issues, large-scale projects are often more efficient to develop and better substantiated. Our preference is for so-called ready-to-build projects, in which permits for grid connection, land and construction are available or demonstrably within reach.
That does not mean that smaller solutions do not play a role. In Switzerland, for example, we also offer Pixii BESS solutions for private applications, agriculture and commercial and industrial customers.
Where does your personal motivation come from?
That motivation comes mainly from my experience with growers and horticulture. Many entrepreneurs want to become more sustainable and switch from gas-fired systems to heat pumps, for example, but get stuck on limited grid capacity. As a result, plans often stall, despite willingness to invest and the availability of subsidies. For me, this underlines why energy storage is a precondition for making sustainability possible.
How is wattss Services AG taking investors through these developments?
wattss Services AG has its own MW Storage Fund, but primarily invests with private investors, Swiss family offices and European pension funds.
For BESS projects, bankability is essential. This requires market and revenue analyses, as well as transparency and realistic assumptions. At the same time, we believe it is equally important that investors understand what they are financing.
This is why we actively involve investors in market developments. For example, we travel with a fund manager to the Emirates to visit a producer of supercap technology. Such visits give investors direct insight into new technologies, their maturity and the parties behind them.
This approach ensures that investment decisions are based not only on models but also on understanding engineering, people and market context. This helps create realistic expectations over the full life of a project.
What role do technology choices play?
We strive to use European technology wherever possible, especially in PCS, EMS and high-voltage components, and pay close attention to cybersecurity. At the same time, we are realistic: battery cells are largely supplied by Chinese manufacturers, whose technology is now years ahead of most European competitors. We leave aside higher costs and limited availability.
What is the value of Energy Storage NL for wattss?
Energy Storage NL is important to us because we realize that we are a new player in the Netherlands. The platform facilitates open and factual conversations about market developments.
Time is an important factor here. But diligence is just as important; after all, we bear responsibility for the long-term viability of our projects. wattss Services AG embodies Swiss excellence and combines speed with diligence. We believe in proactively identifying and systematically managing risks in order to successfully realize bankable, robust and sustainable projects.
What do you hope energy storage will bring to the Netherlands in the coming years?
I hope that BESS is definitively seen as a prerequisite for energy transition: not as an end in itself, but as a means to enable sustainability and flexibility.
