AkkuX and Gridle Join Forces to Optimize Finland’s Grid‑Scale Battery Storage
In early 2025 Finnish battery‑project developer AkkuX Oy announced a collaboration with Gridle, the energy‑optimization unit of Elisa Industriq, to manage the market participation and operational optimization of AkkuX’s growing portfolio of utility‑scale battery storage systems. The agreement leverages Gridle’s proven software and market‑access expertise while AkkuX retains full responsibility for asset development, ownership, and long‑term strategy.
First Project Under the Partnership
The initial asset covered by the deal is a 5 MW/10 MWh lithium‑ion battery storage system located in Outokumpu, Eastern Finland. According to the project timeline shared by both companies, the facility is slated to begin commercial operation later in 2025. Once online, the battery will bid into Fingrid’s wholesale electricity market and provide balancing services, helping to smooth frequency fluctuations and support renewable integration across the Nordic grid.
Financially, the project is structured as a commercially motivated investment. Revenue streams are expected to arise from:
- Energy arbitrage in the day‑ahead and intraday markets
- Participation in Fingrid’s frequency containment reserve (FCR) and automatic frequency restoration reserve (aFRR) markets
- Potential capacity payments under Finland’s emerging reserve‑product framework
These revenue pathways are designed to maximize the asset’s economic return while simultaneously contributing to grid stability—a dual benefit that aligns with Finland’s national targets for decarbonization and renewable penetration.
How Gridle’s Optimization Platform Adds Value
Gridle’s technology focuses on three core functions:
- Market Forecasting – Using machine‑learning models trained on historical Nord Pool and Fingrid data, the platform predicts price spikes and balancing‑service needs with a reported mean absolute error of under 5 % for day‑ahead prices (Gridle internal validation, 2024).
- Real‑Time Dispatch Optimization – The software continuously adjusts charge/discharge schedules to capture the highest‑value market opportunities while respecting battery degradation limits and operational constraints.
- Route‑to‑Market Execution – Gridle handles the submission of bids and offers to Fingrid’s trading platforms, ensuring compliance with market rules and reducing the administrative burden on asset owners.
By outsourcing these complex, data‑intensive tasks to Gridle, AkkuX can concentrate on project development, financing, and stakeholder engagement, while still benefiting from cutting‑edge market intelligence.
Leadership Perspectives
“Gridle brings mission‑critical reliability and proven experience in battery optimization, which gives us confidence as we continue to scale our project portfolio. As part of Elisa Industriq, Gridle has the resources to continuously develop optimization and achieve the best possible results for us,” said Teemu Manninen, CEO of AkkuX.
“For Gridle, grid‑scale battery optimization is essentially about long‑term partnerships. Gridle is designed to operate critical energy assets in complex market environments throughout their life cycle. Working with a dedicated battery project developer like AkkuX allows us to build a scalable, long‑term collaboration that delivers value to both the asset owner and the power system,” noted Markus Logren, Gridle Business Lead, Elisa Industriq.
Broader Market Context
Finland’s electricity system is undergoing a rapid transformation. Wind power capacity surpassed 5 GW in 2024, and solar installations are growing at an annual rate of over 30 %. This expansion increases the need for flexible resources that can respond to variability on sub‑second to hourly timescales.
Gridle’s recent track record underscores the rising demand for optimization services. Earlier in 2025 the company announced similar partnerships with:
- Nivos – a 4 MW/8 MWh battery in the Ostrobothnia region
- Vantaan Energia – a 6 MW/12 MWh system supporting the Helsinki metropolitan area
These projects, together with the AkkuX initiative, illustrate a emerging ecosystem where specialized software providers and battery developers collaborate to unlock the full economic and technical potential of storage assets.
Why This Collaboration Matters for the Power System
From a system‑operator perspective, the participation of optimized batteries in both energy and ancillary‑service markets enhances overall grid resilience. Batteries can provide:
- Fast frequency response (within seconds) to counteract sudden generation loss
- Peak‑shaving capabilities that reduce the need for fossil‑fuel peaker plants
- Voltage support and black‑start potential in emergency scenarios
By ensuring that AkkuX’s assets are dispatched in the most valuable market slots, Gridle helps maximize these societal benefits while delivering competitive returns to investors. This alignment of private profit and public good is a cornerstone of Finland’s strategy to achieve a carbon‑neutral electricity system by 2035.
As the first battery under the agreement nears commissioning later this year, stakeholders will be watching closely to see how the combined strengths of AkkuX’s project development expertise and Gridle’s optimization platform translate into real‑world performance on the Finnish grid.
