Massive battery to help balance power supply and demand

EUROPE\´S LARGEST network-connected battery, capable of storing 10MWh of energy, has been installed in Bedfordshire as part of a two-year trial aiming to protect the UK\´s power grid from fluctuations in renewable energy supply. Consisting of 3,000 individual lithium-ion batteries, the complex in Leighton Buzzard is operated by UK Power Networks as part of its Smarter Network Storage project. The ??18.7m smart-battery system, built for UKPN by S&C Electric, Samsung SDI and Younicos, will store wind and solar energy at times of generation surplus to be used later to cover demand at peak times. "Energy storage can play a major role in balancing the grid, as it solves the problem of renewable intermittency by absorbing surplus power and releasing it when needed," explained Andrew Jones, managing director, S&C Electric Europe, at the launch event in mid-December. "This function simultaneously helps to securely balance capacity and supply and protects the grid from stress events, such as power outages."