The NAS batteries have a capacity of 69,600 kWh (69.6 MWh) and can store electrical power equivalent to one day’s worth of electric power consumption by approximately 6,000 average households. The batteries will be directly connected to the electrical power grid at the Sala Hamamatsu Storage Station, which is located in Hamamatsu City.
They are intended to stabilise the supply and demand of electrical power by storing electrical power when there is an excess supply and discharging it during shortages. As NAS batteries are featured with the large capacity and capable of continuous discharge for the long period, they can be used for multiple applications.
Sala Energy plans to use energy stored in the batteries for trading in various electricity markets such as the supply and demand adjustment markets and capacity markets, as well as reducing the cost of procuring electrical power through arbitrage via the wholesale electrical power market.
The NAS batteries are being introduced following Sala Energy’s selection as a business operator in the “Project to Support the Introduction of Storage Battery Systems and Water Electrolysis Equipment for Power Grids (Revised Budget FY2022)” led by the Sustainable open Innovation Initiative, which has been entrusted by the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy to implement the support business. It is expected that the NAS batteries will help to stabilise the supply and demand of electrical power, along with contributing to the expanded use of renewable energy, which can fluctuate significantly.
Although further introduction of renewable power generation, including solar and wind power, is anticipated as part of efforts to achieve carbon neutrality, the fact that the amount of power generated is affected by seasons and weather presents a challenge for renewable energy. Furthermore, managing the tightening supply and demand of electrical power due to factors such as climate change has become a social issue. Charging and discharging batteries for grid storage in line with supply and demand for electrical power can help to solve these issues.
NAS batteries are used in various applications including stabilisation of renewable energy, electric power demand and supply balancing, and emergency power sources. They have so far been installed in over 250 locations worldwide and have a stable operational track record of more than 20 years. NGK will continue to meet the demand for large capacity storage batteries, such as those for grid storage, strive to promote the spread of renewable energy and stabilise the supply and demand for electrical power, while helping to achieve a carbon-neutral society.
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