Energy storage |
A forthcoming technical decision document will give the market a clear explanation of how the scheme will work and what exactly it is seeking to achieve, and before the first application window next year Ofgem will clarify the exact assessment methodology and application requirements. But the government said its LDES publication “should be read as a ‘green light’ for projects in the pipeline regarding government’s commitment to introduce a cap and floor scheme.” The proposal was welcomed by potential developers offering a variety of technologies. Roderick MacLeod is director of Glen Earrach Energy, which is developing a hydro pumped storage power project in Scotland’s Loch Ness. He said: “Globally, pumped storage projects have historically relied on government support. The UK government’s proposed income floor is the right move in the right direction, which Glen Earrach Energy fully endorses....We are eager to work in collaboration with the UK government to develop
a cap and floor mechanism that optimises grid benefits, consumer value and environmental and community benefits.”
Stephen Crosher is chief executive of RheEnergise, which is developing a new long-duration hydroenergy storage system. Welcoming the support scheme, he said “We anticipate that under a cap and floor mechanism, our particular type of long-duration energy storage will be financed and built in the UK.” RheEnergise’s technology is similar to pumped hydro storage but it uses a proprietary high-density fluid, which the company says requires elevations about 2.5 times less than water, ie the height of small hills rather than mountains. A demonstrator project is currently under construction near Plymouth, Devon, with financial support from UK DESNZ. Also standing to benefit from the scheme is Highview Power, which is developing liquid air energy storage. In a June funding round Highview
Power secured £300 million investment for its 300 MWh project at Carrington, near Manchester. A follow-on plant at Hunterston will deliver 2.5 GWh. Hunterston is planned to be the first of four plants totalling 10 GWh of LDES, including one in Aberdeenshire. Highview Power chief executive Richard Butland said that would be, “strategically positioned to support the onshoring of renewable energy resources from the North Sea and the critical need for grid stability at this location.”
Renewable Energy Association (REA) deputy director of policy Mark Sommerfeld said: “Long-duration energy storage is essential for meeting future low-carbon energy demands in a cost-effective way while ensuring the security of supply. [The cap and floor] announcement finally confirms a scheme the Renewable Energy Association long advocated for to unlock private investment in several ready-to-go projects, allowing construction to begin.”
UK’s transmission-connected mega battery
Global clean energy enterprise TagEnergy’s Lakeside battery energy storage system (BESS) is now the largest transmission-connected such project in the UK following energisation.
The 100 MW/200 MWh facility, connected to National Grid’s Drax 132 kV substation in North Yorkshire, UK, became TagEnergy’s first transmission-connected BESS following successful completion of the commissioning programme by the project’s on-site team and National Grid engineers.
Lakeside battery energy storage system (photo: TagEnergy)
National Grid, working with its contractor Omexom, upgraded the Drax 132 kV substation to accommodate the additional power. Works included extending the busbars, upgrading busbar protection and substation control systems, and installing an operational tripping scheme. The project is 100 per cent owned and operated by TagEnergy, with Tesla, Habitat Energy and RES as project partners. Engineering procurement and construction (EPC) contractor Tesla provided a system of Tesla Megapack 2XL lithium-ion batteries. Habitat Energy partners as route to market and battery optimiser, with independent renewable energy company RES as asset manager.
Franck Woitiez, Chief Executive Officer, TagEnergy said: “For a while, Lakeside will be the largest transmission-connected BESS project in the UK, and it is an important project that truly moves the needle for the energy transition.” TagEnergy acquired full ownership of the facility from RES in December 2021, commenced construction in August 2023 and achieved financial close with a landmark non-recourse debt package in October 2023.
Mark Brindley, portfolio director for northern regions at National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET), said: “Battery storage technologies play an essential part in delivering a net zero energy system in Britain, so connecting Lakeside BESS to our transmission network is a key moment in the pursuit of those clean energy targets. “Our Drax substation originally connected a coal plant in the seventies, and is now playing an important role in the energy transition – connecting not only the country’s biggest battery, but also its largest biomass power plant.”
Sunwoda and Gryphon commit to 1.6 GWh battery project in Queensland
Sunwoda Energy has signed a partnership and collaboration agreement with Gryphon Energy, committing to a 1.6 GWh energy storage project in Queensland, Australia.
The project will be one of Australia’s largest energy storage initiatives, with delivery, grid connection, and operation expected in 2026. Upon completion, it is expected to greatly enhance the stability, reliability, and flexibility of both the state and national power grids. Sunwoda Energy will deploy its advanced NoahX 5 MWh liquid cooled energy storage
module system, featuring the company’s self-developed 314 Ah cells, and leveraging its “industry-leading” Reverse DC Coupling technology. China based Sunwoda Energy says it is committed to expanding its presence in international energy storage markets, with Australia being a primary focus. Earlier this year, in August, Sunwoda Energy successfully commissioned a 5 MW/11 MWh solar-photovoltaic-connected battery facility in New South Wales to the grid.
34 | November/December 2024|
www.modernpowersystems.com
Sunwoda battery system
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