To explore the possibilities of grid-scale storage, Acciona Energy started up a hybrid plant for storing electricity in batteries as part of its grid-connected wind farm at Barásoain in Navarra, northern Spain.
The plant in Bará¡soain is equipped with a storage system that consists of two batteries located in separate containers: one fast-response battery of 1 MW/0.39 MWh (capable of maintaining 1 MW of power for 20 minutes) and another slower-response battery with greater autonomy (0.7 MW/0.7 MWh, maintaining 0.7 MW for 1 hour). Both have Samsung SDI Li-ion technology connected to a 3-MW AW116/300 wind turbine from which they capture the energy to be stored. The wind turbine is one of five that make up the Experimental Wind Farm at Bará¡soain, operated by the company since 2013. The entire system is managed by control software developed in-house by Acciona Energia and is monitored in real time by the company’s Renewable Energies Control Center.
The storage plant has now become the first in the world to undergo system-level certification. The certification process was carried out in line with the GRIDSTOR Recommended Practice, which is based on industry standards and considers safety, performance and reliability for grid-connected energy storage systems.
“The market for grid-scale energy storage systems is relatively unexplored, but we see rapid developments. Certifying new systems like Acciona’s grid-scale storage plant demonstrates that pioneering projects like this are meeting the required safety, performance and reliability standards and providing the industry with confidence in the quality of emerging new technologies,” said Kim Mørk, Executive Vice President, Renewables Certification at DNV GL.
For his part, Rafael Esteban, CEO of Acciona Energy USA, said, “Adding the energy storage plant to our Barásoain Experimental Wind Farm will improve the quality of energy sent to the grid, allow us to explore other applications for balancing supply and demand and create a path for commercial storage solutions in our wind power projects.
“With any emerging technology, technology qualification and certification is essential in understanding and managing risk.”
Photo: (from left to right) Richard Barnes, Executive VP North America at DNV GL, Rafael Esetban, CEO ACCIONA Energy USA Global LLC, Clint Johnson, Business Line Director Renewables Advisory North America at DNV GL
