ESJ Issue 31, Winter 2020

POWERING THE SMART GRID

Issue 31: Winter 2020

The energy workhorse Hydropower upgrades to stay out front Battery Hero

Bob Galyen looks back on four decades in batteries

Chemistry Up Close

Salient Energy believes zinc-ion batteries could be the next generation

The Emerald Isle Ireland is tackling problems to get 700MW online

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EDITORIAL Debbie Mason: debbie@energystoragejournal.com

Industry doesn’t have time to rest on its laurels Triumphant athletes who competed in the ancient Greek Phythian Games were presented with wreaths of fragrant laurel leaves as symbols of their victories.

It’s where the laureate in ‘Nobel Laureate’ comes from, the title given to those leading their fields in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, peace and economic sciences.

A few centuries later the phrase ‘to rest on one’s laurels’ was coined. This time it was a criticism — of those at the forefront who lounge on the laurel leaves they were awarded with the comfortable complacency that they are unassailable.

It’s a risky position to assume if you apply this to any business model.

Take ToysRUs, the international toy giant that failed when it didn’t embrace the world of online sales and collapsed in 2018.

Or Kodak, the camera and film manufacturer that gave us the idea of a snapshot memory — the Kodak moment — which has all but faded into memory itself. It ignored the growing digital photography industry for too long and, when it eventually cottoned on, it was too late.

One might think that holding a 94% share of the world’s energy storage capacity was a pretty safe place to be, but the hydropower industry is no longer taking that for granted. It has recognized that growth is slowing down and that outside China, annual growth in capacity has slumped to just 1.5%.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) says energy storage capacity worldwide has to double by 2050 if we are to keep the world’s lights on. And it must double without adding to CO2 emissions by burning fossil fuels — so all power generation must come from renewable sources.

Doubling hydropower’s 2019 installed capacity of 1,038GW (and a massive 4,306TWh generated) will take some doing, but it ticks all the boxes — it’s renewable, it’s (fairly) environmentally friendly, and with some 600,000 sites that have been identified by the Australian National University as suitable for development, it has heaps of growth potential.

But it can’t do it without making changes and, alongside an ageing technology whose sites are now more than 60 years old, comes a plethora of maintenance issues along with the need to modernize.

Zambia’s Kariba Dam, for example, is the largest manmade reservoir in the world, containing 185 billion cubic metres of water and generating 1.8GW of electricity for Zambia and its neighbour Zimbabwe.

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But according to a New York Times article this July, the dam is on the brink of collapse. This could devastate the lives of millions and wipe out 40% of the hydroelectric capacity in all of southern Africa.

There’s work to do, but the sector appears to be taking this on board in time. It has launched a sweeping programme of policies to address exactly these issues as well as a suite of innovative technologies to take the industry forward, as our cover story explains.

It’s a good model for any industry, and as the energy storage leader, one to which other technologies in the sector should pay heed.

Lithium batteries, for example, are the go-to technology in a vast array of applications — and at the moment in large-scale storage they are by far and away the most prevalent chemistry. But others, such as zinc and flow batteries, are knocking at the door.

The go-to battery industry needs to keep watch. No one is safe, unless they do something different.

Compare the fate of two computer giants. IBM, once the household name for computers, collapsed — it is now a minnow compared with its former self — it ignored the fact that software is as important as hardware and the growth potential of the personal computer market.

By comparison, Apple has constantly been innovating.

It’s done its job so well that its loyal followers now believe they can’t live without the latest tech — even though the latest iPhone 12 doesn’t even come with a free charger.

The hydropower industry has decided to get off its laurels, and the oldest large-scale energy storage technology is pulling out all the stops to transform itself and modernize. This includes combining other storage technologies, such as batteries, to improve and make itself more profitable.

This is vital, not only for the industry, but for the billions of people it provides with power.

The ancient Greeks believed it was the god Apollo who originally gave the laurel its sacred meaning.

After his beloved nymph Daphne was turned into a laurel tree, Apollo responded by making the laurel tree evergreen — a plant that keeps its health and good looks all year round.

With innovation and continuing care, and a combination of maintenance, upgrades and new policies, hydroelectric power — once dubbed the forgotten workhorse — can remain safe as the evergreen technology of energy storage.

Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020 • 1

Contents

CONTENTS

FEATURES

Energy Storage Journal | Issue 31 | Winter 2020

IRELAND

BATTERY HERO

COVER STORY: HYDROPOWER

22

31

36

OPPORTUNITIES COME TO THE FORE FOR WORK ON THE EMERALD ISLE

BATTERY VETERAN BOB GALYEN: A LIFE IN LEAD AS WELL AS LITHIUM

THE ‘FORGOTTEN WORKHORSE OF ENERGY STORAGE’ UPGRADES

Although its grid is smaller than those of other EU markets, the island of Ireland has set a course for its growing energy storage market.

Bob Galyen looks back on four decades in the battery industry — from working for GM on EV1 to eight years with Chinese giant CATL.

The hydropower industry is launching new initiatives and technologies to keep its sector firmly at the forefront of a burgeoning sector.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

3

8

Leclanché appoints executive vice president Karl Bohman.

14

Australia to get second mega battery from Tesla and Neoen.

Bushveld deploys VRFB system to power 10% of vanadium mine.

20

Four-fold rise in 13 years for batteries and storage patents.

IN THIS ISSUE: 1 EDITORIAL: Hydropower: a good model for business | 3 PEOPLE: Latest news from around the globe | 4 NEWS: STRAIGHT FROM THE NEWS DESK | 8 PROJECTS & INSTALLATIONS | 10 DEALS & PROJECT LAUNCHES 14 ALTERNATIVE STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES | 18 GENERAL NEWS | 22 IRELAND DS3: Opportunities on the Emerald Isle | 26 INSIGHT: Finland braced to embrace batteries for its grid | 28 CHEMISTRY UP CLOSE: Salient Energy believes its zinc-ion batteries are a genuine contender to replace lithium batteries | 31 BATTERY HERO: Bob Galyen reflects on four decades in the world of energy storage 36 COVER STORY: HYDROPOWER + BATTERIES: The forgotten workhorse of energy storage brings itself up to date 41 EVENT REVIEWS: All-Energy/Dcarbonise • India Energy Storage Week | 43 FORTHCOMING EVENTS: ESJ sorts through the

ABOUT US

re-scheduled programme following major disruptions caused by Covid-19.

Energy Storage Journal — Business and market strategies for energy storage and smart grid technologies Publisher: Karen Hampton karen@energystoragejournal.com +44 7792 852 337 Editor-in-chief: Michael Halls, mike@energystoragejournal.com +44 7977 016 918

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Editor: Debbie Mason | email: debbie@energystoragejournal.com | tel: +44 1 243 782 275 Advertising manager: Jade Beevor | email: jade@energystoragejournal.com | tel: +44 1 243 792 467 Reporter: Hillary Christie | email: hillary@batteriesinternational.com Finance: Juanita Anderson | email: juanita@batteriesinternational.com | tel: +44 7775 710 290 Subscriptions and admin manager: Claire Ronnie | email: admin@energystoragejournal.com | tel: +44 1 243 782 275 Design: Antony Parselle | email: aparselledesign@me.com Reception: tel: +44 1 243 782 275 The contents of this publication are protected by copyright. No unauthorized translation or reproduction is permitted.

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The lead-lithium storage debate steps up a notch The new titan of lead The CEO interview

Next gen integrators

on, head-to-head

the ideal middle man

soon to a2020 Ecoult’s UltraBattery, Anil Srivastava and • Coming 2 • Energy Storage Journal Winter smart grid near you, ready to take lithium Leclanché’s bid for market dominance

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PEOPLE NEWS

Leclanché appoints executive vice president Karl Bohman Karl Bohman has been appointed executive vice president of Leclanché’s Stationary Business Unit, which develops large-scale storage projects for developers and utilities, the firm said on October 14.

Bohman previously worked as head of business development for Northvolt, the company building the UK’s first battery gigafactory. Before that he spent seven years at SaltX, the thermal energy storage company.

He takes over from Bryan Urban, who has worked with the company for four years and will now lead what the company is calling its ‘build-own-operate’ business division, which will work closely with the stationary unit.

Bohman has worked in the US and Asia, and in

Karl Bohman

2018 won a Bloomberg New Energy Pioneer award for leadership in clean energy technologies and business transformation.

“This industry is in a very fast-moving and dynamic phase; we will need to be agile and offer both innovative and reliable solutions,” said Bohman.

“I am passionate about taking this business to the next level and accelerating its growth.”

One of Leclanché’s areas of growth is in storage systems on boats and ferries.

Earlier this month it was selected by Siemens and Shiptec to supply batteries for hybrid boats on Lake Geneva, in Switzerland.

The boats, owned by Compagnie Générale de Navigation sur le Léman, will offer commuter travel between France and Switzerland with a capacity of 700 passengers each.

LS Energy takes on top-level staff from NEC Energy Solutions Steve Fludder and Roger Lin have joined LS Energy, the former Energy Grid Tie division of Parker Hannifin now owned by Korean multi-billion-dollar group LS Group, from NEC Energy Solutions, the company announced on October 27.

The appointments of Fludder as CEO and Lin as VP of marketing and strategy have been made four months after NEC Energy Solutions began to wind down operations, according to Bloomberg, which in June said it had long been struggling to make a profit and had started an ‘orderly wind down’ in lieu of finding a buyer.

Fludder, who resigned from the company in June, said at the time that the pandemic and its economic upheaval made finding a

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buyer for the company difficult.

He had been made chairman at NEC three years ago, taking over from NEC’s chairman and temporary CEO Hiro Exawa in November 2017.

Fludder’s career includes four years as chief marketing and sales officer with Samsung Engineering and CEO of Alpha-En Corporation, a New Yorkbased clean energy firm.

He has also worked in several of GE’s businesses across Asia over a 27-year

Roger Lin

term with the company, including five years as vice president and corporate officer.

Roger Lin was head of Global Marketing, Strategy and Product with NEC, where he worked for six years.

Before that he spent nine years with A123 Systems, which in 2014 was bought

by Japanese giant NEC Corp and became NEC Energy Solutions.

Lin is also on the board of the US Energy Storage Association.

Steve Fludder

Amazon Web Services’ energy projects manager joins US ESA board The US Energy Storage Association has appointed Amazon Web Services’ energy projects manager Peter Hans Hirschboeck to its board, the trade association announced on September 21.

His focus will be to help Amazon achieve its netzero carbon emissions by 2040. “To achieve these goals, Amazon is innovating with new energy technologies that enable us to better integrate the renewable energy from our wind and solar projects as well as better manage energy use at our facilities,” said Hirschboeck.

“Energy storage is a piece of this effort, and I look forward to working with the board to support ESA in its mission: to accelerate the widespread use of competitive and reliable energy storage systems in North America.”

Hirschboeck has had a long career in the energy industry, having been involved with providing strategy and analysis for utility, distributed energy and financial organizations, the ESA said. ”Amazon is committed to powering its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025, and we believe that their leadership gives all our members insight and understanding as to how corporations can achieve those goals when considering energy resources,” said Kelly Speakes-Backman, CEO of ESA.

Peter Hans Hirschboeck

Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020 • 3

STRAIGHT FROM THE NEWSDESK

Bill Gates-funded aqueous-air battery start-up attracts another $70m A US start-up that had previously received funding from Bill Gates has confirmed it has attracted another $70 million to develop its secretive longduration aqueous battery technology.

Form Energy confirmed to Reuters on November 12 that the funding will go towards developing batteries that it says can dispatch power for days rather than hours.

While remaining secretive about the investors in this latest funding — details of which the company promises will be forthcoming — the firm did release a Solving the Clean Energy and Climate Justice Puzzle report in July 2020. In this

it laid out how its aqueousair technology could cost effectively replace nearly all fossil-fuelled peaker plants in New York State. It said the technology would enable the city of New York to meet its goal of carbon-free electricity by 2040.

Although giving no details of its chemistry other

than describing it as ‘aqueous-air electrochemical energy storage’, Form Energy’s modelling said that where capex on lithium-ion storage is between $85 and $95/kWh, its technology would be between $3.75 and $4.

It says where lithium-ion has the duration of more than an hour, its long-duration storage would provide up to 200.

In May 2020, Form Energy announced a pilot with Great River Energy, a utility in Minnesota, to deploy its first 1MW commercial installation with duration of 150MWh. “The electrical grid is increasingly supplied by renewable sources of energy,”

said Great River vice president Jon Brekke. “Commercially viable long-duration storage could increase reliability by ensuring that the power generated by renewable energy is available at all hours to serve our membership.

“Such storage could be particularly important during extreme weather conditions that last several days.

Long-duration storage also provides an excellent hedge against volatile energy prices.”

“This represents a bold step towards proving that vision of an affordable, renewable future is possible without sacrificing reliability,” said CEO Mateo Jaramillo.

Californian winemaker to install solar-plus-storage microgrid from EDF EDF is to provide Californian winemaker Domaine Carneros with a microgrid system to back up its entire facility in the event of a power cut.

The winemaker is set on six ranches within four miles of its chateau on 400 acres at the southern end of the Napa Valley, and the installation is an example of

the growing number of microgrids being seen by businesses as a key part of their power stability.

This is particularly pertinent in California, where

GS Yuasa to extend partnership to create UK local energy centres Japanese lead and lithium battery maker GS Yuasa says it and Infinite Renewables, a UK renewable energy firm, are launching a project with Albion Community Power to integrate Yuasa’s hybrid battery system with wind and solar power.

The so-called Generation Storage Consumption Supply project is being partly funded by the European Regional Development Fund, and will seek to integrate the systems in

‘local energy centres’ for various applications.

In total seven of the centres will be built in industrial areas in various parts of Wales. The first is at GS Yuasa’s factory in Ebbw Vale, Wales, where 2,900 solar panels are to be installed to provide around 5% of the factory’s power needs.

The factory makes the lead-acid batteries for the hybrid installations, and the lithium batteries are shipped in from Japan.

4 • Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020

In June, Yuasa was hired to provide a 100kW pilot hybrid battery at the port of Portsmouth on the south coast of England.

“The lead-acid battery provides the bulk of the energy storage capacity for cost-effective harvesting of renewable energy, and the lithium-ion battery provides high power discharge capability for EV fast charging,” said a spokesperson for Portsmouth International Port.

every year wildfires knock out power and ravage thousands of acres. This year was one of the worst on record, destroying grapevines all over Napa and Sonoma wine counties.

“The resilient solution is part of a portfolio of microgrid projects that EDF Renewables is deploying with public and private entities throughout California,” said EDF’s EVP of distributed solutions and strategy Raphael Declercq.

Navigant Research says a total of 4,200MW in global microgrid capacity would be deployed this year, led by the Asia-Pacific region with around 1,500MW and North America with about 1,100MW. By 2024, the firm predicts this will rise to 7,500MW worldwide, with Asia-Pacific contributing around 2,400MW and North America surpassing it with 3,000MW.

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STRAIGHT FROM THE NEWSDESK

RWE begins building 40MW/80MWh battery to pair with Georgia storage plant RWE Renewables has started building its first solar-plus-storage plant in the US state of Georgia, a 200MW solar plant to be paired with 40MW/80MWh of battery storage, the firm said on November 17. It is also its largest in the US The Hickory Park Solar plant will sell its power to the state utility Georgia Power Company under a 30-year power purchase agreement that was signed in November. Georgia Power has 2.6 million customers.

As well as being the first in Georgia, RWE says

Hickory Park is also the largest of its solar-plusstorage projects in the US. Georgia, on the southeastern coast of the US, has no shortage of sun to be tapped by the 650,000 solar panels at Hickory Park, which covers an area of 1,800 acres (7.3km2).

According to the US Department of Energy, the use of solar has grown 35-fold nationwide since 2008 to an estimated 62.5GW, and now powers more than 12 million homes.

Battery storage has seen fast growth, with the US Energy Information Administration recording a

mere seven large-scale battery systems in 2010, with just 59MW of power capacity. By 2015 this had grown seven-fold, and by

the end of 2018, 125 largescale systems had a power capacity of 870MW, with about 1.2GWh of storage capacity.

Lithium battery recycler closes undisclosed funding to develop and enter new markets Li-Cycle, the Canadian lithium-ion battery recycling company, has closed a series C equity funding round to develop its New York commercial hub and move into international markets, the firm said on November 18.

Details of the financing were not given other than to say Moore Strategic Ventures, the Delaware, US asset management firm, had led the round.

“This is a market that requires significant development — specifically when it comes to handling the incoming tsunami of spent lithium-ion batteries,” said CEO Ajay Kochbar.

Kochbar is not wrong.

The problems with recycling lithium batteries from both a technical and cost perspective are well known.

In its Green Chemistry 2020, No. 22 Critical Review, the Royal Society of Chemistry says that lithium batteries should be designed with recycling in

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mind.

The review talks about lead batteries, which have ‘a simple design, a lowcost recycling process, a structured collection programme and a significant environmental impact if not recycled’.

“Achieving the same for lithium-ion batteries is difficult, due to the more complex cell design and cell chemistry,” the review says, and calls for more homogenization within the industry to address some of these problems.

According to a recent study by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the Boston Consulting Group, the world’s economy is only 8.6% circular — a far cry from politicians’ ambitious projections.

CAISO approves second hybrid resource model to fill transmission shortfalls CAISO — California Independent System Operators — approved a proposal formally suggested on November 12 and passed a week later that would allow hybrid storage resources to provide energy and ancillary services to the network.

The aim is to contribute to transmission system reliability given that CAISO anticipates a potential shortfall of capacity to meet system net load peaks over the next few

years. This is because of the decommissioning and retiring of the natural gas generation plants.

“To address this shortfall, storage resource developers have submitted a significant number of interconnection requests and are moving quickly to fill the 3,300MW procurement mandate from the California Public Utilities Commission prior to 2023,” says Mark Rothleder, chief operating officer.

“To meet this need, the ISO anticipates a significant amount of new storage generation capacity in California alone in 2020, 2021 and 2022.”

Under the hybrid resources initiative, ISO management says it has developed two market models, both of which have been approved. One is for ‘co-located’ resources, with separate resource IDs, the other for hybrid resources under a single resource ID.

Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020 • 5

COMPANY PROFILE: IMPACT CLEAN POWER TECHNOLOGY

Impact Clean Power Technology S.A.

– affordable flexibility Impact Clean Power Technology S.A. has been operating in the e-mobility market for 15 years and is today a world leader and expert in heavy-duty batteries for transport. Impact batteries have already travelled more than 60 million kilometres in the vehicles they power.

Few companies in the world have such long experience in implementing heavy duty battery systems, which are sold in Europe, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia and South Africa, among others.

Thanks to this and knowledge of the current capabilities of the battery industry, a team of our engineers develops solutions that set global market trends, says Dr. Bartłomiej Kras, CEO of the company.

There are several key factors that determine success in heavy-duty applications.

One of them is the ability to select the batteries in such a way that they meet optimal costs over their entire lifetime (Total Cost of Ownership).

New generations To meet these assumptions, Impact has introduced two generations of batteries to the market this year: • UVES Power GEN 2 is based on high power density LTO technology.

Developed in completely new technology, the modules and battery systems allow delivery of 60% more power.

• UVES Energy GEN 2 is based on NMC 532 technology with high energy density and a very attractive price. By using the latest generation of cells, we have achieved an increase in the gravimetric energy density of over 30%. This is a key element that translates into vehicle range.

Our latest solutions are already used by the world’s leading transport vehicle manufacturers.

6 • Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020

Diversity of need Because of the ever-changing diversity of customers’ requirements, the flexibility of the supplier to keep adapt ing their products to specific applications is also extremely important. Impact offers standard products developed by its own design office, so customers can start their own projects quickly and at low cost.

If necessary, heavy-duty Impact products can be designed from scratch to meet these specific requirements so they are in effect bespoke.

Another important feature is their modularity, which means they are and can be used in many different applications.

The heavy-duty battery market is changing very quickly. It consists of many niches, such as buses charged at night, buses charged by a pantograph, hydrogen cell vehicles, trolleybuses, serial hybrids, parallel hybrids and many others.

And this is why we are always pointing out to our customers the differences between LTO, NMC, LFP and other technologies not only in the context of TCO but also in terms of electrical and mechanical parameters

related to the product life cycle or market prices, says Filip Jankun, Sales Director of ICPT. “Based on analysis of these parameters, we can make current and potential customers and users aware of upcoming changes and thus create a market for battery systems for transport,” he says.

“Our company has been creating battery systems for 15 years and we have always been a few steps ahead of the market.”

Adapting to change And the market changes very fast.

The development of lithium-ion cell technology has recently been moving towards increasing energy density and cutting the cost of battery systems, which is driven by the growth of electric passenger cars.

But as the energy density increases, the number of cycles and power density decreases significantly, which is not in line with the expectations of the public transport market and heavyduty applications.

Most manufacturers focus on the implementation of NMC cells in 811 technology with high energy density, low power and low cycle times.

Others are opting for NMC cells with NMC 532 technology, with a medium energy density, medium power and number of cycles (system-level energy density of 160Wh/kg and a number of cycles above 3,000).

There are also solutions based on 21700 cylindrical cells with a systemlevel energy density of 200Wh/kg and fewer than 1,000 cycles, which are not suitable for heavy-duty applications.

In such a dynamic environment for all users of battery systems, a flexible partner is crucial, one that can respond to changes and has the resources to implement them, stay ahead of the competition and set trends.

A partner that guarantees both high quality and an attractive price.

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New generation of batteries

based on LTO technologies Power GEN 2.0 with high power density and NMC Energy GEN 2.0 with high energy density.

By using the new generation of cells we have achieved an increase in gravimetric energy density by over 30% and deliver 60% more power.

Facilitating eMobility.

Since 2005

Impact Clean Power Technology S.A. Al. Jerozolimskie 424 A , 05-800 Pruszkรณw, Poland phone: +48 22 758 68 65 e-mail: info@icpt.pl, www.icpt.eu

NEWS — PROJECTS & INSTALLATIONS

Australia to get second mega battery courtesy of Tesla and Neoen Neoen, the French renewable energy provider, and carmaker Tesla agreed on November 5 to install a second mega battery in Australia.

This will be more than twice the size of the Hornsdale Power Reserve, which they installed two years ago in South Australia and expanded by 50% this September to 150MW/214.5MWh. The ‘Victorian Big Battery’, near Melbourne in the state of Victoria, will have a power output of 300MW and a storage capacity of 450MWh. Energy company AusNet Services is also working on the design of the battery, which should be operating by the end of 2021.

With the Hornsdale plant reportedly saving customers around A$14 million ($10

million) in 2019, the news will be welcome to Australians, who have to pay some of the highest bills for their power in the world.

However these batteries could seem small fry when compared with plans by New South Wales, whose state government has just published its Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap. In this it pledges to deliver 12GW of transmission capacity by 2030, supported by storage.

In August, AGL Energy began a process to transform the New South Wales Liddell coal-fired power station into a battery up to 500MW in size, lodging a scoping report with the NSW Department of Planning Industry and Environment for a grid-scale battery

system on the site.

The battery, which will start at around 150MW before being expanded to 500MW, will be more than three times larger than the Tesla system at Hornsdale.

AGL Energy’s project with the Liddell Power Station is part of an 850MW multisite integrated battery system that the company aims to develop by 2024.

“Battery storage is critical to enhance the energy system’s flexibility and support

the integration of renewable sources,” said AGL chief operating officer Markus Brokhof.

“It removes one of the biggest limiting factors of renewables, by providing electricity any time but particularly during peak demand.”

AGL is also developing plans for a Torrens Island Power Station site in Adelaide with an initial battery size of between 100MW and 150MW.

Singapore steps up its energy storage installations in a bid to achieve its 200MW target by 2025 Two energy storage installations have been confirmed for the island state of Singapore to provide a total of 10MW/10MWh as the country aims to hit its 200MW target by 2025.

In the first, Singapore’s Energy Market Authority agreed to install the country’s first 2.4MW/2.4MWh utility-scale ESS by the Finnish energy firm Wärtsilä, working with Asian utility SP Group, it said on October 22.

The system will be used in the wholesale electricity market to mitigate intermittent power from solar-generated sources, and it will also reduce peak demand.

As a testbed, the system will be able to evaluate the operating circumstances in a climate as hot and humid as Singapore’s.

“We expect this first battery system in Singapore to enhance grid stability

by providing the quick response and flexibility needed when integrating solar power into the grid,” said Frank Phuan, CEO of Sunseap, a local solar energy firm also working on the installation.

“This project will also provide learnings for future ESS applications and pave the way for more solar power to generate more green energy in Singapore.”

The system will incorporate Wärtsilä’s GEMS energy management platform and its GridSolv Max technology, which includes batteries and inverters.

The second project is a floating energy storage system, the first of its kind in Singapore, which will be installed thanks to a consortium led by energy firm Envision.

It has been awarded a research grant by the island’s Energy Market Author-

8 • Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020

ity and Keppel Offshore & Marine Digital to deploy the 7.5MW/7.5MWh ‘floating living lab’, which will have enough capacity to power more than 600 four-room apartments and if successful could be replicated across Singapore, the EMA said.

“Besides supporting Singapore’s energy needs, the developed solution will have multiple applications such as supporting areas with intermittent power supply, and rapid deployment to provide emergency power for places or remote islands affected by power disruptions,” said Chris Ong, CEO of Keppel O&M. “It can also be deployed on hybrid or fully electric vessels to significantly reduce carbon emissions.”

The $10 million grant will be used to pay for a battery stacking technol-

ogy, which is the first of its kind in the island nation, reducing the physical size of the footprint required by up to 40%, the EMA said.

“This project will pave the way to overcome our land constraints, and set the blueprint for similar deployments in the future,” said EMA chief executive Shih Chun Ngiam.

“We hope to continue cocreating more of such energy solutions with the industry as we work towards a more sustainable energy future for Singapore.”

“As Singapore’s hot and humid environment can affect the performance of the ESS, the testbed will use an innovative liquid-cooling solution that uses seawater to cool the battery cells and enhance the lifecycle of the ESS,” said the EMA. The deployment is scheduled to be operational in 2023.

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NEWS — PROJECTS & INSTALLATIONS

IKEA rooftop to become first commercial microgrid in Australia Swedish furniture and home accessories giant IKEA is to become a community microgrid in Australia, operating with 100% renewable energy from its rooftop solar and storage installation, it announced on October 14.

IKEA Adelaide has been given A$1.95 million ($1.4 million) by the South Australian government’s renewable technology fund, and in the first stage of the project, 1.2MW of solar panels will be installed

on the rooftop alongside a 3.4MWh battery.

This will supply 70% of the store’s electricity needs, and surplus stored power will be traded with the SA Power Networks during peak demand periods.

“PV shade structures with additional solar panels will then be erected over the car park to meet the other 30% of the store’s energy needs in stage two,” a statement said.

EV chargers will also be installed at the site for customers and staff to use.

Other partners in the project are Planet Ark Power — which will supply its eleXsys energy management system; SA Power Networks — the network provider; and Epic Energy, which owns and operates the microgrid. The battery is from CATL. Dan van Holst Pellekaan, South Australia minister for energy and mining, said the project would improve the quality of power to nearby homes and businesses.

“The project will let IKEA

significantly reduce its carbon footprint and make it easier for other companies to adopt low carbon technologies. It will combine innovative grid integration technology with 1.2MW of rooftop solar photovoltaics and a 3MWh CATL battery and is a significant project for the state,” he said.

South Australia is home to Tesla’s 100MW/129MWh Hornsdale battery, installed in 2017 to much acclaim for being the world’s largest lithium battery.

Rolls-Royce to install battery system for microgrid on Cook Islands Rolls-Royce, the UK multinational engineering company, is to supply the batteries for a microgrid on the remote Pacific island of Rarotonga, one of the Cook Islands roughly halfway between Los Angeles and Sydney, Rolls-Royce Power Systems announced on September 3.

It is the third time that Vector Powersmart, a New

Zealand-based energy solutions provider, has chosen Rolls-Royce for microgrid systems.

In this installation the luxury carmaker’s business unit, Power Systems, will supply three battery containers of MTU EnergyPacks with a total storage capacity of 4.2MWh and a power output of 4.8MW. The PV systems, diesel gen-

erators and battery containers will supply 11,000 householders on the island with grid support.

The system will be integrated with local utility Te Aponga Uira’s existing power plant.

The other two RollsRoyce and Vector Powersmart projects on the Cook Islands were in the island of Aitutaki, where a mi-

Demo lithium/lead battery project pushes nexus of renewables, grid ever closer The largest hybrid leadacid/lithium battery energy storage system in Poland has begun a fullscale demonstration, project partners New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), Hitachi, Showa Denko Materials and Sumitomo Mitsubishi Banking Corporation said on October 2.

The project is also supported by Poland’s Ministry of Climate and other Polish project companies, and “aims to contribute to further integration of re-

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newable energy in Poland by achieving secure power grid operation while minimizing investment costs for power transmission equipment at the same time”.

The lithium batteries have an output of 1MW and the lead acid batteries an output of 5MW and a storage capacity of 30MWh. The input is generated by the Bystra wind farm in northern Poland.

The demonstration, which aims to validate and prove the effective-

ness of the system’s ability to alleviate short-term fluctuations in wind power generation and to provide reserve power, began on September 25.

“The system will also be used to solve issues with transmission and high voltage distribution line overloads during a power grid failure,” said a statement.

A successful demonstration will allow the partners to consider developing similar business models further afield, the statement said.

crogrid has been operating since 2019, and the holiday resort of Glenorchy in New Zealand.

In August, Rolls-Royce Power Systems announced it would be increasing its capacity for producing battery containers by manufacturing the MTU EnergyPacks in Bavaria, Germany, where the firm already has a production facility.

“We see growing demand for MTU EnergyPacks, since more and more customers are seeking on-site power generation solutions that use renewables,” said Cordelia Thielitz, vice president of the Microgrid Solutions division.

“But when you use solar or wind power to generate electricity, you often need an interim solution for storage until it is actually consumed.”

Rolls-Royce Power Systems has a product portfolio that includes battery containers for mission critical, standby and continuous power, combined generation of heat and power, and microgrids.

Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020 • 9

NEWS — DEALS AND PROJECT LAUNCHES

Exide Technologies Europe/Asia-Pacific officially becomes a stand-alone business Exide Technologies in October stood alone as a European and Asia-Pacific firm, under new ownership but retaining Stefan Stübing as president, CEO and director.

Joe Hinrichs, recently retired as president of Ford Motor Company’s global automotive business, has been appointed chairman of the board.

The transaction involved separating the battery manufacturer from Exide Holdings, in the US, and transferring the entire business to a group of long-term shareholders under the new Energy Technologies Holdings — also in the US. “As part of this transaction, the business received further multi-million-dollar funding from the new investors,” a statement said.

“Now, as a standalone, we are more agile,” said Stübing. “It will allow us to react even faster to the wishes of our customers and requirements of the market.

The new owners represent a group of Exide’s long-term noteholders and know us

well, thereby demonstrating their continued commitment to our success.”

Hinrichs said: “Together, we are confident in Exide’s capability to deliver consistent growth and profitability by bringing to market innovative energy storage technologies to benefit our customers.”

The new Exide will be headquartered near Paris.

Our sister publication, Batteries International, broke the news in June 2019 that Exide was selling its European business a year before it was officially announced.

The firm had already been through two Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings and ultimately the North Ameri-

can part could not survive a third, with the recycling site at Vernon a constant thorn in its side and then Covid-19 driving in the final nail.

Now the European business is free to focus on its automotive and industrial

energy storage technologies, with two R&D facilities and 11 production plants in Europe.

The company says it achieved a turnover of €1.4 billion ($1.65 billion) in the fiscal year for 2020.

Fluence snaps up Advanced Microgrid Systems Energy storage technology firm Fluence said on October 15 it had bought Advanced Microgrid Systems, the digital intelligence platform that provides optimized bidding software for utility-scale storage and generation applications.

The purchase is being hailed as a combination that will help utilities and developers optimize their storage assets to make more money, improve grid reliability and efficiency and drive the move towards more sustainable, resilient power systems.

The deal comes a year after the two companies struck up a partnership.

“This acquisition pro-

vides customers with data-driven insights that maximize the value and performance of generation and storage assets to make the entire grid smarter,” said Brett Galura, chief technology officer with Fluence.

“Our century-old power system is stressed. Renewable energy and energy storage are the solution. These innovations will drive the transformation of global electric power systems to ensure a more sustainable future.”

Fluence’s method is a socalled ‘app store’ approach, which means assets can be bought and integrated as stand-alone assets instead

10 • Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020

of having to be combined with specific other components, and this applies to AMS’s software as well.

“Asset owners will be able to use the software to optimize their systems regardless of whether they use Fluence technology,” said the firm.

“Customers are building larger fleets of energy storage and flexible generation assets, while at the same time wholesale markets are becoming more complex and volatile,” said Seyed Madaeni. AMS CEO. “We have a unique opportunity to optimize the dispatch of flexible assets, maximize their value and make the entire electric

power system more responsive, reliable and resilient.”

AMS’s technology is designed to ensure that energy storage and generation assets respond optimally to price signals sent by the market.

“AMS and Fluence’s technologies together will act as a force multiplier, maximizing asset value by combining Fluence’s deep experience operating batteries in the field with AMS’s ability to optimize market participation,” said Fluence.

Fluence, which is owned

by Siemens and AES, operates more than 2.4GW of energy projects worldwide.

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NEWS — DEALS AND PROJECT LAUNCHES

SER Capital snaps up three battery projects in Texas LG Chem will supply the batteries for three storage projects in Texas that have been bought by private equity firm SER Capital Part-

ners, the investment firm said on October 22.

Details of where the storage projects will be located were not divulged, other

than describing them as ‘near renewable wind projects whose output is frequently congested’.

In total they will supply

Generac buys Enbala to expand in energy storage sector and VPP US generator firm Generac has expanded its presence in the energy storage sector with the purchase of Enbala, a distributed energy resources technology company offering virtual power plant software, it said on October 5.

Calling the move an acceleration of its energy technology capabilities, Generac says the acquisition solidifies Generac’s position in Smart Grid 2.0 technologies and opens opportunities for the firm as a grid services provider.

Generac made its first move into the sector in April 2019, when it bought the residential battery storage firm Pika Energy, which makes

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lead-acid and lithium batteries for back-up power applications.

“We’re on the leading edge of a remarkable transformation of the electrical grid, moving from a dated and centralized power distribution model to one that will be digitized, decentralized and more resilient,” said Aaron Jagdfeld, Generac CEO. Enbala provides distributed energy optimization and control software to utilities and energy retailers with its Concerto platform, which monitors DERs and allows them to respond to real-time energy balancing needs.

“Enbala is a proven virtual power plant and

distributed energy management platform, and we believe their business model can be incredibly synergistic with our business,” said Jagdfeld.

“Distributed generation is a critical next step for utility companies faced with meeting peak demand while also dealing with capacity constraints and regulatory restrictions.

“Enbala and Generac will be able to harness the power of everything from solar-plus-storage systems to our own generators to help limit the need for new power plants and maintain the convenience and flexibility of diversified power production.”

30MW of power, SER said.

SER has bought the three projects from development and investment company HGP Storage, which focuses on building decentralized distributed storage resources to provide ‘Energy as a Service’ products.

“These projects will help Texas integrate renewables and reduce fossil fuel pollutants, while improving the environment and providing economic benefits and jobs to the region,” said SER partner Sara Graziano.

“We have been working in the power markets for over 20 years and have seen first hand the disruption that renewables and intermittent resources have had,” said Greg Forero, HGP co-founder and president.

SER has a long history of battery storage investing, and in June bought MicroGrid Networks, a distributed power company, so that it could install battery energy storage and solar in high-demand, congested urban areas such as New York City.

“Pairing our deep experience optimizing battery and electricity storage with MicroGrid Networks’ local expertise creates a rare opportunity to economically and sustainably deliver reliable, resilient energy solutions while offering significant benefits in New York,” Graziano said.

“By installing, owning and operating a portfolio of storage assets, we also help New York achieve its goals to integrate additional renewables, offset regionwide fossil-fuelled pollutants, and provide economic benefits and jobs to the region,” said Rahul Advani, managing partner and founder of SER.

Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020 • 11

NEWS — DEALS AND PROJECT LAUNCHES

Russia’s state nuclear agency launches unit to develop lithium batteries Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom has launched an energy storage business unit, RENERA, to develop lithiumion batteries for EVs and emergency power supply, renewable energy and load smoothing, the company said on October 8.

RENERA was formed from Rosatom’s TVEL Fuel Company, when it was called Cathode Materials LLC. The agency’s press statement says it already has 120 projects in its portfolio for the supply of lithium-ion storage devices.

“A number of contracts have been implemented for modernization of logistics electric vehicles, as well as equipping substation DC systems and uninterrupted power supply systems with lithium-ion storage devices,” the statement says.

“Module type lithium-ion traction batteries are widely in demand in the electric vehicle market and are one of the most cost-efficient and technologically advanced solutions for intralogistics.”

The move is a rare sign that Russia is looking to change its energy policy, according to the June 2020 Implications of the Global

Energy Transition on Russia report.

The report was coauthored by James Henderson, a director of the Natural Gas Programme at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies and Tatiana Mitorva from the Energy Center at the Moscow School of Management.

“Russia, which ranks fourth in the world in terms of primary energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, is adhering to a strategy of ‘business as usual’ and continues to rely on fossil fuels”, the report says.

“The share of solar and wind energy in the Russian energy balance is insignificant and, according to official forecasts, it is not expected to exceed 1% by 2035.

“The challenge for Russia in the coming years is to develop a new strategy for energy sector development (at least for energy exports), even in the absence of a significant domestic climate change agenda, in the face of increasing global competition, growing technological isolation and financial constraints.”

Rosatom’s headquarters at Bolshaya Ordynka Street in Moscow

“A number of contracts have been implemented for modernization of logistics electric vehicles, as well as equipping substation DC systems and uninterrupted power supply systems with lithium-ion storage devices”

Harmony Energy agrees second battery project with FRV UK developer Harmony Energy is to begin a second battery storage project in the UK with Spanish renewable energy firm Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV).

It is also the second time it will use Tesla Megapack lithium batteries and the carmaker’s Autobidder AI software to trade and control its performance.

The new Contego project should begin this month in West Sussex, and once

completed next year will be one of the largest battery storage plants in the UK, at 34MW/68MWh. It will be connected to the UK Power Networks distribution network, adding the capability to store energy from renewable sources as the UK, along with much of the world, tries to shift away from fossil fuel sources of energy.

“There is real momentum in the development of

12 • Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020

subsidy-free, utility-scale battery storage in the UK as we continue the shift towards a greener economy,” said Harmony Energy CEO Peter Kavanagh.

“The value of battery storage in providing flexibility to the grid continues to increase as the UK’s penetration of renewable energy grows. We have more than 500MW of battery energy storage plants construction-ready in the UK.”

Contego is much larger than the first project installed by the two firms, which is in Dorset and has a capacity of 15MWh. The UK is keen to increase its battery storage capacity, and in July removed planning barriers to batteries of more than 50MW in power.

The UK National Grid estimates that by the end of 2025, battery storage capacity could be up to 2.3GWh in the UK, two and a half times that recorded at the end of 2019, which was 0.88GWh.

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NEWS — DEALS AND PROJECT LAUNCHES

USTDA provides Senegal with $1m grant for BESS study The US Trade and Development Agency has handed $1 million to African multicountry power company Lekela Energie Stockage to pay for a feasibility study into what would be one of the first standalone gridscale batteries in Senegal, it announced on September 28.

US businesses are being asked to submit proposals by the end of October to carry out the study.

The battery, which is expected to have at least 60MWh of storage capacity, will store power generated by the Taiba N’Diaye wind farm, owned by Lekela, to help stabilize the grid as more renewables are integrated within it.

‘Implementation of the energy storage system will improve grid efficiency through at least 60MWh of storage time. Implementation would also introduce new technology to Senegal in the form of five

or more commercial-scale BESS units, resulting in an increase of efficiency and capacity for the electricity grid,” is how the official Request for Proposals for the study describes the project.

“We’re delighted that USTDA has awarded a grant to Lekela Energie Stockage to advance this project in partnership with Senelec, which will be one of the largest battery IPPs in Africa,” said Chris Antonopoulos, chief executive of Lekela Power.

Senelec is the local utility company.

“As West Africa’s largest wind farm, our Parc Eolien Taiba N’Diaye project plac-

es Senegal at the forefront of countries committed to the development of renewable energy. It’s fantastic to be involved in furthering this project through groundbreaking work.”

The USTDA helps develop projects in emerging economies by providing funds for US companies to do the work.

The agency says it has supported 17 activities with Senegal since 1992, “most recently awarding a training grant to Senegal’s national utility in support of a project that will help bring power to 440,000 people in rural communities using USmade technology,” it says.

“We’re delighted that USTDA has awarded a grant to Lekela Energie Stockage to advance this project in partnership with Senelec, which will be one of the largest battery IPPs in Africa” Chris Antonopoulos, Lekela Power.

Energy Renaissance announces plans to build Australia’s first lithium-ion battery manufacturing factory Australia’s first lithiumion battery manufacturing factory will be built in the Hunter Region about 75 miles north of Sydney by Energy Renaissance, the firm announced on October 13.

The 4,000m2 facility will have an initial annual battery production capacity of 66MWh, and the batteries will be sold to the power infrastructure, buildings, businesses and homes markets.

The company plans to scale up the operation to 5.3GWh a year, and managing director Mark Chilcote said the site should be finished in 2021. www.energystoragejournal.com

Energy Renaissance was founded in 2015 and has an exclusive partnership with Cadenza Innovation — a US-based lithium battery firm headed by Christina Lampe- Önnerud.

A memorandum of understanding was signed between the two firms in 2017, giving the Australian company exclusive manufacturing rights of Cadenza’s patented technology, which consists of ‘bricks’ of batteries containing cylindrical jelly rolls that can be stacked according to required size.

Energy Renaissance says it expects to export more than half of the cells made, with the remainder ‘enough

to power every public school, hospital, fire station, SES unit and new homes built in Australia’.

“That’s reassuring because Australia will be able to rely on its own source of renewable energy in the very near future,” said Hollie Hughes, patron senator for the Hunter Region, who attended the ground-breaking ceremony at the Tomago site on October 13.

“The Hunter region has all the right skills, natural resources, expertise and an abundance in solar energy for us to develop a successful battery manufacturing business in Australia,” said Chilcote.

Snohomish County PUD in partnership with Doosan on pilot V2G and DERM system Snohomish County PUD, the second largest public utility in the US state of Washington, has partnered Doosan GridTech in a pilot programme to integrate vehicle-to-grid chargers within its distributed energy resource management system, the partners said on October 22.

The primary objective is to examine the effects of the twoway interface with V2G stations charging vehicles then allowing stored energy to flow back to the grid for support during any outages using Doosan’s DERO platform.

The Arlington Microgrid solar plus storage system will focus on disaster recovery and grid resiliency in times of outage.

“We see this as an important step in our ‘utility of the future’ vision and for SnoPUD to be one of the premier utilities in the country,” said John Haarlow, SnoPUD general manager and CEO. “We are excited to help our customers maximize the value of owning an electric vehicle as well as being able to leverage other distributed energy resources as they are brought on to our system.”

The two companies have been working together on smart grid enhancements for eight years, with Doosan helping to design the DERM system.

Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020 • 13

NEWS — ALTERNATIVE STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES

Bushveld deploys VRFB solar system to power 10% of vanadium mine A solar-plus-vanadium battery storage system will provide up to 10% of the energy requirements of a vanadium mine and processing plant in South Africa, developer Bushveld Minerals announced in an update on November 11.

The VRFB, which is being supplied by the Austrian company Enerox, will be part of a microgrid at the Vametco Alloys mine, which Bushveld says produces around 3,000 tonnes a year. The roughly 25 tonnes of the vanadium oxide required for the battery will be supplied by the mine.

The Vametco plant, in the North West Province of South Africa, is owned by

Bushveld, which has hired technology firm Abengoa to put an energy management system in place to control the microgrid.

“This project is part of Bushveld’s strategy to demonstrate both the superior technical merits of long duration VRFB systems when paired with renewable energy, while providing a commercial return to the company’s shareholders,” said Bushveld.

“It will also use locally mined and beneficiated vanadium, showing how VRFB energy solutions can create more local value to South Africa than any other storage technology.

“The hybrid mini-grid project will supply just un-

der 10% of Vametco’s electrical energy consumption at any one time and will demonstrate the technical and commercial capability of hybrid mini-grids using

Supercaps ‘now compete head on’ with lead and lithium batteries A November 2 report by the market research firm IDTechEx says large supercapacitors “now compete head on” with batteries — with greater energy density than lithium-ion batteries, offering up to 1MWh of storage.

IDTechEx’s report looks at how supercapacitors can be a good option in tidal power, which by its nature is not uniform and requires smoothing to maintain output.

Some supercapacitors, says IDTechEx, are dropin lead acid and lithium ion battery replacements, others are bought as uninterruptible power supplies with the ability to offer peak shaving, with power density 10 times that of lithium, and series resistance low.

“Frequently, supercapacitors are used as an energy storage device

to smooth the output power and improve the low-voltage ride-through capability of energy conversion systems, being fit-and-forget and wasting 14% less electricity than lithium-ion batteries,” said IDTechEx CEO Raghu Das. “Output power fluctuation caused by the swell effect (opposite of voltage dip) is efficiently smoothed by supercapacitor energy storage systems.”

Despite the apparent advantages of supercapacitors over other batteries, they have still not made much of a dent in a market that IDTechEx in 2012 admitted was overlooking them.

“It is now obvious that supercapacitors will be one of the very big nails in the coffin of lead acid batteries over the next few years, yet that is only

14 • Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020

part of the story as their parameters are being improved faster than the competition,” a ‘Supercapacitors replace batteries’ report by IDTechEx chairman and founder Peter Harrop had said in May 2012.

“Yet supercapacitors are an aspect of electronics and electrical engineering that is curiously neglected or talked down by the press, investors, potential suppliers and others living in the past despite a multi-billion dollar market rapidly emerging,” Harrop said.

Other market research firms have indicated the outlook is rosy for supercaps, with Allied Market Research estimating a CAGR of 23.3% from 2020 to 2027, increasing the market size in value from $3.27 billion in 2019 to $16.95 billion by 2027.

solar PV and VRFB technology. Technically, the system will be able to operate independently or jointly, either as standalone systems or as a fully functional mini-grid installation.”

“The project demonstrates the commercial viability of solar plus VRFB storage solutions for commercial and industrial scale applications,” said Bushveld Minerals CEO Fortune Mojapelo.

“This is occurring at a time when stationary storage deployments are gathering momentum and when in South Africa the government is making concerted efforts to lower regulatory hurdles for self-generation for commercial and industrial applications.

Uptake of vanadium storage systems has not been rapid but in April, analysis by metals industry consulting firm TTP Squared, quoting data by Vanitec, the global vanadium organization, suggested that consumption and production had both exceeded 100,000 tonnes in 2019 for the first time.

Some estimates predict the market for VRFBs will reach $4.8 billion by 2027, which would show a CAGR of 54% between 2020 and 2027.

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For the challenges ahead...

NEWS — ALTERNATIVE STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES

RWE, CMBlu start to trial organic electrolytes in 100kW/1,000kWh project RWE Gas Storage West and CMBlu Energy announced on September 30 they had started a collaborative project to investigate whether organic electrolytes can be used in a flow battery project in RWE’s salt caverns.

The project will be in three phases.

The first, which has just begun, is a feasibility study to determine which organic electrolyte should be used.

The second, starting next spring. will involve the construction and commissioning of the plant.

The third will be a fine tuning of the system which, when finished by the spring of 2024, aims to result in an operational system with an output of 100kW/1,000kWh. The choice of the organic electrolyte will be an interesting one given that the roughly dozen firms around the world developing organic electrolytes keep their technology a well guarded secret.

“Organic electrolytes are being increasingly proposed as an alternative to vanadium or zinc in flow batteries as they are not subject to the wild price swings that these metals have had historically,” says Anthony Price, principal of his consultancy firm Swanbarton. “They are also viewed as environmentally more positive.”

In the past, sudden huge rises in the price of vanadium have forced many flow battery start-ups to the wall.

Two years ago, for example, China insisted that all steel would need to be re-inforced by vanadium. This caused a spike in the price of the metal — roughly 80% of the metal is used in the steel industry — and the downfall of many promising flow battery firms.

The price of vanadium pentoxide moved from a low of $2.4/lb in January 2016 to $33.9/lb in November 2018. Given that the price of vanadium is the most expensive factor in these flow batteries, such a price leap is devastating.

“The perfect electrolyte for a flow battery should have around five specific qualities,” says Price. “It shouldn’t degrade over time — flow batteries are meant to be for the long haul, say in use for 20+ years; they should have good ionic conductance, a high electrochemical potential; they shouldn’t

16 • Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020

be corrosive and are well suited to the environment: safe, in other words.

And last, they should be affordable and remain so.

“A good organic electrolyte should tick all these boxes.”

The second phase of the project is likely to be relatively straight forward as flow battery construction firms already exist with prepared designs that can be adapted. For example, firms such as Pinflow Energy Storage, based in Prague, the Czech Republic, can already provide customized products.

One puzzling question is whether there is a need to build flow batteries in these vast caverns.

Flow battery electrolytes typically have an energy density of between 20kWh per litre to 100kWh/l. Much higher densities — including more than 500kWh/l — might theoretically be possible but have not yet been verified in practice.

For this flow battery to achieve an output of 1,000kWh and assuming that the electrolyte has a density of 40Wh/l — this compares favourably with a typical VRFB delivering 30Wh/l — would require 25,000 litres of electrolyte.

Given that 1,000 litres equals one cubic metre, this battery would occupy just

25m3. That is roughly two thirds the size of a 20 teu container.

RWE Gas Storage West is part of German utility RWE Group. It operates five underground (salt cavern) natural gas storage facilities for the north-west European gas market with a working gas volume of about 1.7 billion cubic metres.

CMBLu Energy describes itself as a pioneer and market leader in sustainable organic flow batteries. It is based near Frankfurt-am-Main in Germany.

RWE is likely to have plans to scale up the facility.

“These underground caverns could potentially store capacities of up to several gigawatt hours of electricity from renewable sources,” says a statement from the firm. “By comparison, Europe’s largest battery at present — based on lithium-ion technology — is in Jardelund, Schleswig-Holstein, and has a storage capacity of about 50MWh. Andreas Frohwein, technical managing director of RWE Gas Storage West, said: “In the future, we may be able to use our salt caverns as batteries for storing enormous quantities of electricity. Using existing technical infrastructure, they could also be quickly connected to the electricity grid.”

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NEWS — ALTERNATIVE STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES

Highview to work on giga-scale cryogenic storage in Chile Cryogenic energy storage developer Highview Power has agreed to work with Chilean power generator Energia Latina SA (Enlasa) to develop giga-scale energy storage systems in Chile, the firm announced on October 21.

The joint venture aims to open Latin American energy markets to baseload renewable energy potential, saying Highview’s long-duration storage, paired with renewable energy, is equal

to nuclear and thermal power in terms of performance.

Highview Power’s CRYOBattery cryogenic storage uses insulated, low-pressure vessels to store cooled liquid air which, when exposed to ambient temperatures, re-gasifies rapidly and expands 700-fold in volume, driving a turbine and generating electricity.

Highview claims it can provide from four hours to four weeks of energy and

Eos Energy to supply zinc cathode batteries to microgrid firm Verdant Zinc battery maker Eos Energy will supply its Zynth storage systems to Verdant Microgrid for microgrids in California, the firms said on October 8.

Verdant installs microgrids in a range of situations, such as greenhouse and indoor agriculture operations, with rooftop systems that include snow melt functions as well as solar panels and battery storage.

Eos uses a zinc hybrid cathode technology at the core of its stationary energy storage system, which it says uses just five core materials that are not rare earths and are commercially available and scalable.

“The Zynth battery technology and Eos’ configuration provide our platform with fire safety and energy flexibility that we cannot get from lithium-ion,” said Robert Babcock, a partner at Verdant.

“We are confident

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that this first project between Verdant and Eos will demonstrate how expansive and beneficial microgrids can be for commercial clients as they provide resiliency, sustainability and cost savings in one package.”

He said Verdant would use the systems in behind-the-meter and utility-scale projects.

Eos says the partnership will open up new applications for the company, “with onsite energy generation and storage taking centre stage”.

Eos is moving towards a public share listing, having already entered into a definitive merger agreement with B Riley Principal Merger Corp II, a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company. The transaction will result in the combined company being renamed Eos Energy Enterprises, with shares of common stock going on to the Nasdaq exchange.

its systems have a life span of more than 30 years.

Enlasa generates electricity for Chile’s national grid, where solar power is increasingly being added to its mix. As it adds more solar and wind, it will need more long-duration storage to balance supply.

“Chile has one of the best solar irradiations in the world and the deployment of solar power together with the national decarbonization strategy require long-duration energy storage to provide the needed energy balance to achieve a sustainable grid,” says Highview.

Highview on November 6 said it had broken ground on its 250MWh

CRYOBattery installation in Manchester, UK, the company’s first commercial system.

The project won a £10 million ($12.5 million) hand-out from the UK Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy’s Storage at Scale competition, and is being installed at a decommissioned thermal power station.

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Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020 • 17

NEWS

‘Tera is the new giga’ says Musk, vowing to be world leader in energy storage

If the world is to achieve 100% renewable energy it’s going to need at least 135 gigafactories to make 20 terawatt-hours’ of lithium batteries, and with a host of new technologies this is what Tesla is aiming to achieve, said the co-founder Elon Musk at the firm’s Battery Day held in Fremont, California, on September 22.

Standing on stage at the event, to which a couple of hundred Teslas drove in to watch in a kind of drive-in

show, Elon Musk unveiled battery cell adaptions, factory processes and the acquisition of new rights to lithium mining, all aiming to massively increase production but at a lower cost and energy footprint than ever before.

He said EVs alone would need 150TWh of batteries, and when it came to grid storage the world needed another 1,600 times that being made if energy were ever to become 100% renewable.

“As the world economy matures, we could see this number be even more — something like 20-25 terawatt-hours per year for 15-20 years — to transition the world to renewable,” he told a horn-hooting audience. “This is a lot of batteries.”

The carmaker has already made clear its intentions to be a serious player in the grid storage industry as well as electric vehicles, already supplying Australia with the world’s largest lithium battery at Hornsdale and marketing its Powerpack batteries all over the world.

“Essentially Tesla announced that it is going to be a battery company, not a car company,” said Jim Greenberger, executive director and co-founder of NAATBatt.

“I found that to be an exciting and important announcement. But execution will be daunting. It begs the question: just how much

ABB launches bi-directional charger for vehicle-to-grid Swiss technology giant ABB on October 13 launched an 11kW bi-directional charging system with joint venture DREEV, formed between the French utility EDF and software firm Nuvve, which it says will set a global benchmark for this kind of vehicle-to-grid charging.

The product will be made available first in France, then the UK, Italy, Belgium and Germany.

OEMs such as Audi and Nissan have already developed their own bi-directional chargers for EVs and they are increasingly

being seen as a necessary part of the electricity network, supplying the grid with power when the EVs do not need the charge.

EDF in November bought the UK battery storage and EV charging network firm Pivot Power to expand the firm’s footprint in this sector, saying it would enhance network reliability and boost the integration of renewable energy.

Frank Mühlon, head of ABB’s global business for e-mobility and infrastructure solutions, said: “The development of this intelligent bi-directional

18 • Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020

charging solution will be key in enabling the next step in the evolution of our e-mobility ecosystem and represents a key milestone in ABB’s sustainability strategy.”

ABB says that while few electric cars support V2G now, it is expected to become a dominant technology within five years.

“With the number of EVs on the road predicted to rise to 559 million by 2040 and 33% of the global fleet to be powered by electricity, the world’s energy ecosystem needs to evolve to support this transition,” the firm says.

did Tesla learn from Panasonic over the course of its joint venture? I always thought that Panasonic would go out of its way to make sure that Tesla did not learn too much.

“Tesla’s move upstream will be a master stroke if Tesla can pull it off. The announcement will put considerable pressure on other automotive OEMs — and the fear of God into LG Chem.”

The major key was cutting costs, and Musk revealed a range of new technologies — such as new cell tabs and dry-coat electrodes — that while still in the development stage, could result in huge reductions in footprint, investment and energy use, he said.

Among other methods were a high-speed continuous assembly line that will increase capacity by seven times; changes to both anode and cathode for far greater energy density; and cobalt to be replaced with much cheaper and more energy dense nickel.

Musk also revealed the company had secured its own lithium mining rights across a 10,000-acre area in Nevada, where its gigafactory is sited, and it was working on a technology using sodium chloride that had never been used before to extract the metal from mined clay.

“There’s enough lithium in the whole of the US to convert the entire US fleet of vehicles to electric,” he said. “And people haven’t even been looking for it.

“To extract it in an environmentally friendly way we use salt — dig out a chunk of dirt, extract the lithium and put the dirt back. There’s enough lithium in Nevada alone to electrify the entire US fleet.”

Musk also said the company could recycle 100% of its batteries, and that it made much more sense to do this than use raw materials.

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NEWS

US ESA says Biden election win a triumph for energy storage sector Kelly Speakes-Backman, CEO of the US Energy Storage Association, said on November 7 that the election of Joe Biden as presi-

dent of the United States meant the clean energy and energy storage industries would benefit.

“By electing Biden as president, Americans have sent the signal to accelerate the path forward toward a clean energy economy,” she said.

“We expect to see strong support from the new administration focused on decarbonization of the electric and transportation sectors, which will further drive the deployment of energy storage.

“We look forward to

working with the Biden administration and Congressional members to continue our bipartisan efforts to advance our vision of 100GW by 2030, creating a more resilient, efficient, sustainable, and affordable electricity grid.”

In his election pledges, Democrat presidential candidate Biden proposed spending $1.7 trillion to help integrate environmental policies into almost all decision-making in government. Donald Trump had avoided mentioning the subject.

“A victory for Joe Biden would mean an ambitious attempt to use the federal government to rest-ructure the entire US energy sector to curb greenhouse gas emissions, and see stricter fuel economy standards, an end to oil and gas lease sales in federal lands and waters, and new obstacles to permitting fossil fuel infrastructure,” said commodity analysts Wood Mackenzie.

This by implication should mean an increase in the need for renewables and storage to replace those sources.

IREC merges with Solar Foundation in major boost to US energy transition The US Solar Foundation and Interstate Renewable Energy Council on November 12 said they had agreed to merge in what will be an expanded non-profit organization dedicated to the adoption of clean energy.

In a joint statement, the parties said the decision to merge had been reached because of the ‘natural synergy’ between the organizations and the common aims to increase renewable energy and energy efficiency, including storage.

“Over the coming months, the two organizations will work together to integrate their programmes, with the merger anticipated to be completed in mid-2021,” the statement said.

“Once the merger is finalized, all of the Solar Foundation’s programmes will be combined at IREC.” President and CEO of IREC will take on the leadership of the new organization, while Solar Foundation president and executive director Andrea Luecke has stepped aside and is continuing as a consultant.

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The organization will work along three pathways, the statement said, concentrating on regulatory engagement, workforce development and local initiatives.

The merger is expected to help accelerate even more quickly the adoption of solar energy and related technologies, coming a couple of months after another victory was scored by the IREC, when it overturned a rule that put barriers up to potential grid interconnections.

Sweeping adjustments to California’s Rule 21, the rules under which distributed energy resources and storage can connect with the state’s grid, will pave the way to more clean energy and storage being deployed in the State, IREC said in September.

IREC has been working since 2011 to change Rule 21, which it says puts up barriers to potential interconnections with unnecessary and length approval procedures. It says the changes are a major mile-

stone.

“The revisions to Rule 21 encompass many issues but three of the most noteworthy include 1) the plan to incorporate data on the actual grid conditions at the locations of projects that request to interconnect; 2) an option for developers to propose grid project operating schedules that are based on those grid conditions; and 3) the addition of more advanced interconnection policies for interconnection of energy storage projects,” IREC said.

One of the adjustments to the rule is the Integration Capacity Analysis (ICA), which models the electricity grid and how it can best connect DERs, such as solar or storage, at specific locations without the need for upgrades or interconnection studies to be carried out.

“ICA is a revolutionary leap forward in grid transparency, in terms of providing customers, developers and regulators with truly useful, acces-

sible and in-depth distribution and information,” said Sky Stanfield, partner at law firm Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger, which represents IREC in regulatory proceedings.

“It reduces the guessing game in selecting interconnection locations and will vastly improve the process for clean energy customers and developers.”

It means that applications can control the export of energy to better meet the changing needs of the grid demand.

“As California grapples with unprecedented climate change impacts, from wildfires to heat waves, providing pathways to deploy more renewable energy and energy storage faster and when it is most needed will help the state transition to a lower carbon, more resilient grid.

“With these changes to Rule 21, California regulators have set a new standard for modern interconnection policies that will support this goal,” said IREC.

Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020 • 19

NEWS

Four-fold rise in 13 years for global batteries and storage patents A study released in September by the International Energy Agency and European Patent Office shows that patenting activity in batteries and other electricity storage technologies grew four times faster than the average of all other technology fields between 2005 and 2018.

Innovation in batteries and electricity storage: A global analysis based on patent data September 2020 is the first such study to be carried out by both agencies into the trends that patent filing tend to indicate.

“Because patents are filed many months, or even years, before products appear on the market, patent information is an early indicator of which technologies could be poised to play ground-breaking roles in the future,” says Antonio Campinos, president of the EPO. The study found that 7,000 international energy storage-related patents were filed in 2018 compared with just over 1,000 in 2000, with a sharper acceleration since 2005, when there was a growth rate of 14%.

Other technology areas showed just 3.5% growth on average.

Most key battery technology variants were on the rise — including lead-acid, redox flow and nickel batteries — but Li-ion was the dominant innovator, with 45% of all patenting activity to do with Li-ion cells.

“This reflects in small part the use of batteries in an ever-expanding array of personal devices and tools, but the findings of this report point to a much larger driver in recent years: clean energy technologies, in particular electric mobility.”

The study also found that most inventive competition in the Li-ion field was with battery cathodes — “as they are the limiting factor in determining energy density and cost reductions.

“Smartphones, power tools, electric cars and utility-scale stationary batteries all have different requirements and tolerances for energy and power density, durability, material costs, sensitivity and stability.

“While some of these features can be improved through innovation in

20 • Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020

manufacturing and engineering, innovation is primarily seen through changes to the battery cathode, anode and electrolyte, the primary elements of a battery cell through which electricity is stored and conducted.”

Indeed, batteries still account for less than 3% of the world’s storage volume, with pumped storage hydropower the vast majority, at 90%, and another 90GWh of projects in the pipeline.

However the use of batteries in stationary energy storage applications is growing exponentially, the study says — with an annual rate on par with all other storage technologies combined.

“Excluding pumped storage hydropower, variants of Li-ion technology now account for more than 90% of new energy storage installations, other batteries make up the majority of the remaining 10%, with short-term technologies like flywheels and super-capacitors finding niche markets below 2%,” says the study.

Another major area of innovation is in solid-state electrolytes which are needed to replace the flammable liquid or polymer gel electrolytes currently used.

“Solid-state electrolytes feature a high level of specific energy and high degree of stability, but are expensive,” the study says. “Patenting activity in this area has been growing by 25% per year on average since 2010.

“Commercial applications of solidstate electrolytes in electric vehicles are anticipated in the next decade, and could generate spill-overs that would help to make these batteries competitive for other applications, too.”

IEA executive director Fatih Birol said to meet key international energy and climate goals, up to 10,000GWh of batteries across the energy system and other forms of energy storage would be needed by 2040, which is 50 times the size of current capacity.

He had a warning, though.

“Energy storage — which is a critical technology — is not on track to achieve the levels called for in the Sustainable Development Scenario,” (an earlier report by the IEA) “both in terms of its deployment and its performance,” he said.

“This means that we are failing to put in place the infrastructure that will be needed for renewable energy to expand more rapidly.”

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NEWS

Energy storage on a roll in run-up to 2030 with 31% CAGR Global energy storage capacity could grow at a compound annual growth rate of 31% in the decade ahead, according to a Wood Mackenzie report released on September 30. Of this some 70% will come from front of the meter deployments.

Wood Mackenzie reckons that the world will have 741GWh of cumulative capacity by 2030.

CAGR, admittedly from a very small base, climbed at 66% from 2013 to date though deployments fell this year due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

The report said the US, the largest adopter, will make up more than 49%, or 365 GWh, of this global capacity by 2030. Utility resource planning in the US is set to be a huge driver for deployments over the coming decade.

China’s cumulative storage capacity, coming in second after the US, will account for 21% or 153 GWh of global cumulative capacity by 2030. The growth will be exponential.

“The ancillary service market is the primary revenue stream for the FTM market and continues to attract hybrid storage installations in China from 2020 to 2025,” says the report.

“Firming renewables capacity to reduce curtailments is the second most important driver in Australia, China, South Korea and Japan.

China launched a policy that requires solar and wind developers to make up the costs for building stable and grid-friendly renewable generation assets.

“Europe’s growth story is expected to be slower than its global counterparts. The UK and Germany will continue to dominate the FTM market out to 2025. Frequency response auctions re-

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main one of the key revenue streams. France and Italy are also opening up with both capacity and ancillary service markets open or opening. Spain and the rest of continental Europe are expected to follow, with potential help from the European Commission and its green recovery deal.”

In the past two years, utility approaches to renewables and particularly storage have shifted seismically, with the

majority of utilities dramatically shifting planned resources towards renewables and storage due to cost and state-driven clean-energy goals, according to Wood Mackenzie principal analyst Rory McCarthy.

He said: “We expect wavering growth in the early 2020s, but growth will likely accelerate in the late 2020s, to enable increased variable renewable penetration and the power market transition.

Cumulative global energy storage deployments.

“Investment decisions are likely to be pushed back in some cases, but the general trajectory of the power market transition and the need for energy storage to enable this has not changed.

“If anything, the transition may be accelerated as governments around the world grapple with how to recover their economies more sustainably than in the past with upside for the energy storage industry.”

Source: Wood Mackenzie

French battery giant Saft opens energy storage hub in Zhuhai, China Saft, the international battery maker, has opened an energy storage hub in Zhuhai, China, which means its energy storage systems are now made on three continents — Europe, the US and Asia — it said on November 10.

The hubs do not simply make batteries; in line with the other two, in Bordeaux, France, and Jacksonville, US, the Zhuhai plant will offer ‘an integrated approach to energy storage’, with every step of the process taken care of from initial concept to delivery and grid connection.

This sets the energy storage hubs apart from its battery-making facilities, which are in operation in several countries around the world.

“Investment in our Zhuhai production line shows how we have grown from being a supplier of batteries to providing complete energy solutions,” said Hervé Amosseé, vice president of Saft’s ESS and Mobility division. “Customers are turning to us for fully integrated energy storage and microgrid technology solutions.”

The 6,600m2 Zhuhai hub will make around 200

containers a year, which is around 480MWh, says the firm. The systems are to support the growing integration of renewable energy into the grid.

Saft’s batteries are used in a wide range of sectors, including aviation and space as well as energy storage for grid applications.

On October 15 it announced it had won a major order from Russia’s largest train and coach builder, Metrowagonmash, for batteries that allow trains to reach the nearest station in the event of a power outage.

Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020 • 21

IRELAND – DS3

Opportunities on the Emerald Isle Although its grid is smaller than those of other EU markets, the island of Ireland has managed to set a course for its growing energy storage market, but there are challenges that have to be navigated.

Ireland has plenty of wind resources to tap, and onshore wind power has now become one of the island’s cheapest forms of electricity. Developers are also setting their sights on offshore wind capacity, which points to wind making up a greater and greater share of the power mix.

This will improve the island’s energy security, reducing reliance on fossil fu-

22 • Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020

els and lowering carbon emissions, but it will mean that grids will need more flexibility and resilience because of the nature of non-synchronous penetration.

In September 2020, industry association Energy Storage Ireland (ESI) published the results of a survey of its members, revealing a 2GW pipeline of 54 projects at various stages of development.

Almost 700MW of the projects are at an advanced stage and looking to come online in the next 12 to 18 months.

The projects are part of a DS3 (Delivering a Secure Sustainable Electricity System) programme, which was ignited by a set of studies back in 2010 — the ‘All Island TSO Facilitation of Renewables’ studies, and aims to in-

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IRELAND – DS3

Emerging need for longer duration batteries Opportunities for longer duration batteries should emerge, thanks to falling battery costs and price trends in the power market.

crease the amount of renewables in Ireland’s grid.

The studies were carried out by EirGrid, the transmission system operator for the whole island of Ireland, working withits subsidiary SONI (System Operator for Northern Ireland).

By 2018, 14 services were included in DS3, all to maintain resilience in

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“Opportunities for longer duration batteries, up to two hours, could emerge but the market isn’t quite there yet, it could be from 2024 onwards. We can already see the GB market moving to two-hour duration, but this requires many more modules compared with a battery with a half hour duration,” says Statkraft grid manager for Ireland Bernice Doyle.

“The system also needs the same import connection as export so that it can recharge more rapidly.

In current systems, batteries can inject power rapidly into the grid for balancing services as they don’t need to discharge too much — these are shallow cycles,” she says.

Nigel Reams is the co-founder of energy storage developer Lumcloon Energy, which has the largest storage portfolio in the country, with 100MW in Lumcloon and another 100MW project in Shannonbridge.

“Longer term there is an opportunity for batteries to earn revenues from provision of system services and also arbitrage and energy balancing,” he says. “The combination of more renewables on the grid, impact on energy prices and falling battery and storage costs will unlock more opportunities for new batteries to come online from 2023-2024 onwards.”

“The future is longer duration energy storage, such as two or more hours rather than the 30 minutes shorter duration systems, which are optimised for the fast responding DS3 services,” says Samuel Harden, chair of ESI. “Longer duration storage can be deployed to alleviate constraints and further reduce curtailment, as well as play a greater role in energy trading arbitrage and balancing the system, as well as providing frequency response.”

The DS3 market is well designed, so could allow batteries to execute a range of different services and revenue streams.

“It incentivizes services by valuing speed of response and incentivizes them when the grid requires them, such as times of high levels of renewable generation.

Storage assets are then free to search for wholesale and arbitrage opportunities outside of these.”

Harden points to similar approaches by other grid operators that are helping to allow grid batteries to provide multiple benefits and value streams.

“In Italy, the TSO Terna, for example, only requires 1,000 hours of storage a year, which can free up batteries to earn revenues at other times,” he says.

Harden says ESI would ideally like Ireland’s market for energy storage to develop in a way that incentivizes where value can be added, as other markets have begun to do.

“For example, incentivizing storage to co-locate with new renewable capacity, which can deliver a number of benefits, the most obvious being reduced grid development costs.

“Storage and renewables are becoming more and more competitive and cheaper than other forms of generation. In some US states we’re starting to see solar tenders which pay more for projects with energy storage as a component, because it is still cheaper compared with building more standalone solar capacity and having to ramp up fossil fuel generation to cover the peak when solar generation drops off but demand kicks in.”

“The future is longer duration energy storage, such as two or more hours rather than the 30 minutes shorter duration systems, which are optimised for the fast responding DS3 services” — Samuel Harden, chair of ESI

Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020 • 23

IRELAND – DS3 the power system as more renewables came onto the grid. EirGrid said it expected batteries to offer reserve services, such as fast frequency response, primary and secondary operating reserve.

The system as a whole is viewed by many as one of the most sophisticated grid services markets in the world. But there are problems.

Obstacles “The main issue is that we want clarity on what is going to happen after 2023. There is going to be an ongoing need for more flexibility in the system, and storage, but it is not clear in terms of how much and what framework will support it,” says ESI chair Samuel Harden.

“We are fairly confident that there will be something to replace the current DS3 arrangements, but we’re not sure what.”

While in the UK there is no limit to the number of grid connection offers that DNOs can make, in Ireland the enduring connection process (ECP) caps the number and type of offers.

“In the first ECP round (ECP-1), the volume of offers was capped at 1GW with about 400MW of this prioritized for storage, which was seen as a clear acknowledgement by the TSO that storage needed to be connected to the grid with some urgency. Most of the 692MW of the capacity in advanced stages came via ECP-1,” says Harden.

“The second round of grid connection awards, ECP-2, which closed recently, did not prioritize storage and in fact limited the number of offers for system services, which reflects the fact that there is currently sufficient storage being developed, albeit to meet

“What we are trying to do is work with various stakeholders, including EirGrid, to move beyond the mindset that storage is only good for providing fast response grid services” — Samuel Harden, ESI chair demand through DS3 services.”

However, without any of the prioritization that happened in ECP-1, timelines for grid connection works can be lengthy for storage.

“What we are trying to do is work with various stakeholders, including EirGrid, to move beyond the mindset that storage is only good for providing fast response grid services,” says Harden.

“For example, we know that as grids see higher penetration of windgenerated electricity, especially Ireland’s grid, which is not as well interconnected as other grids on the EU mainland, then curtailment and congestion issues increase, which energy storage can alleviate.”

Harden says storage can provide multiple services and earn its keep in different ways in a renewables-heavy market, where more flexibility is required, and not simply be limited to providing fast response grid services.

“Two technologies — wind and storage, for example — cannot share a grid connection, so you have to have separate MWs for wind and separate MWs for battery storage, which could act as a barrier to hybrid projects from

getting through the grid connection process. This has been one of our key issues to address in our workstreams with EirGrid,” Harden says.

He says that engagement with both EirGrid and the regulator has been good.

“There’s good dialogue and feedback from both. DS3 is one of the most advanced grid services systems in the world. Consultations are now focusing on 2023 to 2030.”

As more non-dispatchable renewable electricity comes on line, without energy storage and demand side response to provide the necessary flexibility in the system, it will be more expensive and carbon-intensive to rely on conventional generation to provide the reserve and system services, he says.

“We are presenting energy storage technology as the best value solution to provide the required flexibility through avoiding the costs that would otherwise be incurred through increased curtailment as more wind is added and the cost of running fossil fuel generation, as well as delivering savings in terms of carbon emissions.

“Energy storage is a clean resource.

Savings are in relation to the cost of grid operation as energy storage is the most efficient mechanism for providing these.”

Chasing the wind Gore Street Energy Storage Fund has a 160MW portfolio of battery projects in Ireland, valued at £77 million ($100 million), in the DS3 programme.

“We saw lots of players developing and acquiring wind projects, such as Statkraft, and saw that energy stor-

“There’s good dialogue and feedback from both.

DS3 is one of the most advanced grid services systems in the world.

Consultations are now focusing on 2023 to 2030.”

— Samuel Harden, ESI chair

24 • Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020

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IRELAND – DS3 age would follow this wind buildout, because the grid operator would need to contract for services to provide grid balancing and stability,” says Gore Street Energy Storage Fund chief executive Alex O’Cinneide.

“The capped market in mid-2019 definitely helped seed the market for storage in Ireland and attracted a lot of competition.”

The projects comprise two 50MW facilities in Northern Ireland, in Drumkee in County Tyrone and Mullavilly in Armagh, plus two 30MW plants in the Republic of Ireland, in Portersdown, County Kildare, and Kilmannock, County Wexford.

“The capped market in mid-2019 definitely helped seed the market for storage in Ireland and attracted a lot of competition” — Alex O’Cinneide, Gore Street Energy Storage Fund chief executive All the projects are expected to be operational by 2021, O’Cinneide says.

“In the uncapped market we’ll be moving assets from one service to another, making tactical decisions about how best to deploy those batteries.”

He says DS3 is a high-spec market for energy storage in terms of availability of assets and speed of response.

“In global terms EirGrid is imposing a very high bar to obtain a very highquality service.

“This places us in a good position as we expand into other markets, such as the US, because we own assets that are capable of meeting high-spec grid service products with our business models.”

Starter for Statkraft A portion of the 21MW of energy storage online in Ireland is an 11MW battery owned by Norwegian energy company Statkraft.

The battery is installed on the same site as a 23MW onshore wind farm at Kilathmoy on the Limerick/Kerry border in the south-west Ireland.

Statkraft partnered Fluence to deliver the storage, with battery modules produced by LG Chem.

According to Statkraft grid manager for Ireland Bernice Doyle, the reserve services are suited to short-duration battery assets, typically with a 30-minute duration, which can also provide reactive power.

She says realistically there will be about 400MW of capacity for storage under the DS3 uncapped volume market, which could potentially increase to 500MW. “It’s not going to be a massive market.”

She says Statkraft wants to be involved with batteries to deliver its

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renewables ambitions where it plans to build out 6GW of wind and solar by 2025 in markets that include GB, Ireland and others in Europe.

“In markets like Ireland, storage is going to be a key enabler to help reach renewable energy targets. If you don’t have enough storage you have to curtail. Storage is going to help us reach our target but also manage curtailment levels of the generation asset,” says Doyle.

“The Kilathmoy battery is going to provide us with knowledge of how to do some things in practice. Though it is a 30-minute battery, we’ll use it to figure out issues as we go along so that when it is time to build more battery capacity we’ll have gathered expertise.”

The battery went live in April 2020.

“What’s interesting for us ‘techno geeks’ is seeing how it

is responding. Most are under frequency events, so very short and shallow responses. The longest we have seen is less than 10 seconds.

The dynamic response is relative to the frequency event so it is going low but is not quite maxed out. In general the battery is sitting, ready and doing what it should be doing,” says Doyle.

Statkraft has a portfolio of sites around Ireland, which Doyle says will be built out when the time is right.

She thinks post 2023, when the DS3 programme ends, there will be an investment hiatus under the current market framework.

Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020 • 25

INSIGHT

Finland braced to embrace batteries for its grid

Finland has two major storage projects due to come online next year and a new cathode materials factory.

As the EU Battery Alliance calls for up to 20 battery gigafactories to be set up in Europe to answer the demand for stationary grid storage, not to mention EVs, Finland could become a major player in this field with its wealth of raw materials.

It already produces battery minerals and chemicals, including cobalt, which is only mined in this country in the continent of Europe.

Business Finland, the government agency for innovation funding and trade, says the expansion of the production of cobalt, nickel and lithium

by Finnish companies such as Terraframe, Keliber and Nornickel will also ensure the elements are extracted responsibly.

The abundance of these vital elements — along with copper and graphite — is great news for the EU battery industry. The European Commission is almost certain to insist that sourcing batteries metals is done ethi-

26 • Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020

cally, which will disrupt existing supply chains. The prime source of cobalt, for example, is the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a troubled country where child labour and illegal mining are commonplace.

Construction of a precursor cathode active material plant has begun in Harjavalta by German multinational company BASF, which says the project is progressing as scheduled despite global pandemic shut-downs, and it should be opening in 2022.

And as the country expands its production of materials for battery making, it could be looking at a growing market to sell them to right on its own doorstep.

Yllikkälä leads the way The biggest lithium battery to be installed in Finland so far is in the 30MW/30MWh Yllikkälä Power Reserve One project, by French renewables developer Neoen, near the city of

Lappeenranta in the south-east of the country.

The battery, which grid operator Fingrid says is the largest in the Nordic region, will provide grid stabilization and other services. Nidec ASI is supplying the system and the battery is also close to a 400kV interconnector line with Russia, so could support the grid’s frequency in case of a network trip.

The project is moving swiftly. It was signed a year ago but should begin operating early next year. Normally such projects take at least two years, says Antti Tuovinen, a battery specialist with Fingrid. The plant has been designed so that future integration of renewable energy sources can take place.

Finland is in greater need of the grid balancing services that batteries can provide than its neighbours. Norway, for example, has large amounts of hydropower capacity that can be used.

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INSIGHT

Above: Yllikkälä, Finland’s biggest battery project to date.

Inset: BASF’s precursor cathode active materials plant in Finland

Fingrid will procure these reserves from a yearly market, which provides secure contracts via competitive bidding and also through daily purchases from a separate hourly market.

Tuuliwatti in Lapland The opportunities to earn income from grid balancing are inspiring other large-scale battery projects from developers.

One of them, Tuuliwatti, has taken its time. Having begun development in 2016, the company had to wait for costs to come down before it persevered with its storage project at the Viinamäki wind farm in Lapland.

It also changed its plans, from integrating a 6.6MWh Saft battery (Intensium Max HE) with the wind farm to now deciding to install the battery on site as a standalone device, which can be integrated to form a hybrid clean power plant in the future. It will begin operating

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early next year, with frequency response its main use.

The battery is housed in three 20ft shipping containers and can be scaled up. It is being touted as having a 15year life expectancy.

“For us the battery is more like an R&D project,” says Tuuliwatti portfolio manager Tommi Riski, whose company has installed more than 300MW of wind power across 11 sites in Finland, but none so far with battery storage.

“We initially looked at other services the battery could do such as blackstart and backup. There isn’t really a need for blackstart capability as a grid service,” says Riski.

“However, back-up functionality would potentially be useful as the turbines can be impacted by the heavy winds here and shutting them down during these periods and restarting them could be important.”

He says that Vesta, which supplied the wind turbines for the Viinamäki wind park, could potentially do the integration, as the turbine manufacturer has developed controls for wind hybrid projects in other markets.

As battery prices continue to fall, Riski is open to a future for storage in Finland, but for the meantime Tuuliwatti will be kept busy seeing how the system at Viinamäki performs.

Available resources, responsibly sourced The state-owned Finnish Minerals Group says Finland has the potential to be a vital link in the European lithium battery materials chain.

Demand for raw materials will continue to increase, with the bulk initially coming from the electric vehicle market, says FMG, with these batteries then having a second life in the utility and domestic markets. It reckons the country could fulfil the cathode material needs of one large electric vehicle battery plant.

FMG says about 50kg of nickel, 8kg of lithium and 7kg of cobalt are needed for each EV battery manufactured using NMC 811 technology, and Finland can deliver most of these requirements.

FMG strategy as a whole is built on three pillars: development of electric vehicle battery value chain, technological development, and active ownership.

In a policy statement issued this November, FMG talked about the importance of responsibly maximizing the value of Finnish minerals. “One way of achieving this would be to get further down the value chain. This is very much in line with our strategy,” says the group’s CEO. Matti Hietanen.

Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020 • 27

CHEMISTRY

UP

CLOSE

Zinc-ion advances Salient Energy, based in Halifax, Canada, believes its zinc-ion batteries are a genuine contender to replace lithium batteries. It wouldn’t be the first company to make the claim, but it was selected in February 2019 as one of 10 ‘early stage companies’ to present at NAATBatt’s Battery Technology Innovation Summit. Co-founder and chief executive Ryan Brown explains why his chemistry could be the be the next lithium competitor.

Lithium-ion has quickly established itself as the world’s most important battery technology, with a well deserved reputation for being an indispensable component of the technological revolution.

Its uniquely high energy density has made it an indispensable part of the digital device transformation, vital for the laptops and smartphones that keep the world connected and productive.

With decades of investment improving performance and cost, they are poised to enable an electric vehicle revolution that will provide the world with cars that set Ryan Brown: Zinc-ion marks the next step in the evolution of zinc batteries, which use a cheap, abundant and safe material and can function like a lithium-ion battery.

new standards in performance and sustainability.

Many consider the chemistry will fill a similar role in stationary energy storage in the electric grid, where vast quantities of batteries are needed to enable a renewables-dominated grid.

But stationary energy storage applications value cost and safety far more than weight, so lithium-ion’s uniquely high energy density confers little advantage. Further, the urgency of climate change requires that one deploys trillions of watt-hours’ worth of batteries over the next decade.

Achieving this with lithium-ion alone would require the mining and refining of raw materials to scale at an unprecedented rate.

To address these supply chain concerns and enable the development of lower-cost, longer-life and safe energy storage, new battery technologies are desperately needed.

While there have been challengers to lithium-ion dominance in stationary energy storage over the past decade, most have failed.

Zinc-ion mimics the most important properties of lithium-ion (its low-cost manufacturing, moderate power capability and compact system size), with the potential to replace it in applications that value cost and safety over weight.

Though its increased weight makes it unattractive for electric vehicles, it is perfectly suited for stationary energy storage.

Zinc intercalation: a new approach to a classic technology If we step back to the 1800s, we are reminded that the first battery ever made was a zinc one. Since then, zinc has maintained a prominent role in battery technologies throughout the centuries and is best known for its use as a disposable battery.

Zinc batteries have traditionally been examples of what are referred to as

28 • Energy Storage Journal • Autumn 2020

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CHEMISTRY

UP

conversion batteries, where the materials at each electrode convert from one chemical species to another during operation.

Taking disposable alkaline batteries as an example, conversion means that the zinc anode reacts with hydroxide in the water-based electrolyte to form zinc oxide, while the MnO2 cathode reacts with water to form Mn2O3. Prior to the invention of the lithium-ion battery, all batteries were conversion batteries.

The key breakthrough for lithiumion batteries was the discovery of materials whose structure allowed for lithium ions to travel between their atoms to reaction sites in the process referred to as intercalation. The discovery of these materials represented a major scientific breakthrough that garnered John Goodenough, Stanley Whittingham and Akira Yoshino the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2019.

Naturally, researchers have tried to copy the success of lithium-ion by

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exploring new intercalation systems.

This includes magnesium, aluminum, sodium, potassium, and, of course, zinc.

Intercalation: unlocking substantial gains in cycle life Zinc batteries have always been cheap, safe and abundant, which is why they were so widely adopted in disposable batteries. The problem though has always been how poorly they charge.

In traditional zinc conversion systems, the electrolyte is alkaline. This is because a high pH is necessary for the cathode reaction to occur. However, it also causes various problems at the anode.

The first and most severe is the formation of dendrites that short circuit the battery. Dendrites cause immediate failure.

While it is possible to design an alkaline zinc battery that avoids dendrite formation, zinc anodes in high pH face the additional issue of zinc loss.

The conversion between zinc and zinc oxide that occurs in an alkaline electrolyte causes a significant amount of the charged zinc to lose contact with the electrode and become what is referred to as ‘dead zinc’. This loss of zinc eventually starves the cell of its reacting ions, leaving rechargeable alkaline zinc batteries to achieve only a few hundred recharge cycles at best.

The zinc-ion battery represents a revolution over other zinc cells by eliminating the need for an alkaline electrolyte. The cathode reaction takes place at a neutral pH, which vastly improves the anode performance: while the best zinc alkaline cells can only achieve hundreds of cycles, zincion cells can achieve thousands.

Since energy storage systems require batteries to cycle thousands of times through their 10+ years of service life, the use of zinc intercalation makes zinc-ion suitable for energy storage where traditional zinc-alkaline cells are not.

Zinc-ion’s order of magnitude volumetric energy density improvement is worth more than just scientific bragging rights.

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CHEMISTRY

UP

While not all zinc battery technologies require an alkaline electrolyte, their other disadvantages render them unattractive for mass market adoption.

Zinc-bromine batteries, for example, also use a neutral electrolyte.

However, they require it in massive volume to store the bromine — in fact 10 times the volume of a zinc-ion battery — to deliver the same energy. Not only is this inconvenient for end users, it also adds a significant amount of material cost for a given energy rating.

By enabling order of magnitude improvements in both cycle life and volumetric energy density, the zincion battery is the first zinc battery that can truly compete with lithium-ion for stationary energy storage.

Enabling rapid scale-up and simple adoption Zinc-ion’s order of magnitude volumetric energy density improvement is worth more than just scientific bragging rights.

The ability to store a large amount of energy in a small amount of material is the precondition to using a lithium-ion style cell design.

Building a lithium-ion cell requires coating a small amount of active material on a metal substrate to form the electrodes. If these thin coatings deliver just a small amount of energy, each cell would require an impractically expensive length of electrode.

Zinc-ion’s uniquely high energy density overcomes this issue and allows the zinc-ion battery to be built using the same low-cost and high throughput manufacturing that has been perfected by the lithium-ion industry.

Not only does manufacturing compatibility ensure access to low-cost manufacturing, it also solves the scalability issues that have challenged other novel technologies in the past.

Designing and scaling manufacturing lines represents an enormously costly and complicated process.

Adding this cost and complexity to the already difficult process of developing a new battery chemistry has proven fatal to many promising startups.

Abundant raw materials solves urgent industry issue Batteries are a critical component of the clean energy transition. but the world’s ability to transition to electric vehicles and renewable energy is limited to the amount of batteries that

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CLOSE sent an existential threat to America’s decarbonization ambitions.

Zinc-ion batteries’ use of abundant raw materials obviates the issue. North America’s zinc production alone is sufficient to meet the global demand for batteries. Unlike lithium, zinc is easily recyclable. Given the critical role that storage will play in grids around the world, zinc-ion’s supply chain security makes it the clear choice over lithium-ion.

The zinc ion battery mimics the most important properties of lithium-ion (its low-cost manufacturing, moderate power capability and compact system size), with a material set that is inexpensive, abundant and intrinsically safe. can be produced every year.

The lithium-ion industry relies on raw materials that are relatively scarce and produced in only a few countries, such as China, Argentina, and the Democratic Repubic of the Congo.

According to Tesla, more than 20 terawatt hours (TWh) of batteries will be needed to transition the world to electric vehicles and renewable energy.

According to climate scientists, this transition needs to happen in 10-15 years.

If all the world’s currently produced lithium was converted to batteries it would only produce 0.5 TWh a year.

This order of magnitude difference between the industry’s capability and the demands of climate change represents an urgent issue that demands action.

Lithium-ion’s supply chain issues are worrisome enough in a globalized world, but the concentrated nature of lithium-ion materials poses an even greater risk in a post-Covid world.

North America produces less than 0.3% of the world’s lithium and contains less than 4% of its reserves. Its capacity for material processing is negligible.

China, on the other hand, has control over 80% of the world’s raw material processing. Without an alternative to lithium-ion, worsening USChinese relations could therefore pre-

Overcoming lithium-ion’s biggest weakness Lithium-ion batteries are fundamentally unsafe. Lithium reacts violently with oxygen, and most lithium-ion batteries use a cathode that releases oxygen at high temperatures. Lithium-ion batteries require the use of a flammable electrolyte.

These factors combine to make an intrinsically dangerous technology.

The risk is far greater with large battery installations, where one defective cell can trigger violent reactions in its neighbors, leading to the catastrophic explosions already experienced in utility-scale energy storage.

Zinc-ion, on the other hand, is a water-based system. Fires are physically impossible. This intrinsic safety offers peace of mind to customers who install these systems in their home and business. It will allow for simpler integration of energy storage systems in locations that are currently prohibited due to fire safety regulations.

Establishing itself as the primary lithium-ion alternative While the zinc-ion battery has been studied by dozens of research groups around the globe, it is still a relatively new technology.

Lithium-ion batteries will remain the dominant solution for stationary energy storage in the immediate future. However, zinc-ion’s increasing credibility in the industry will allow it to quickly establish itself as a safe alternative to lithium-ion batteries.

Government focus on accelerating a domestic battery industry will lead to substantial investment in zinc-ion production capacity. At sufficient production volume, zinc-ion batteries will be able to significantly outperform lithium-ion on a lifetime cost basis.

When zinc-ion batteries realize their potential as a cheaper, longer-lasting and easier to source alternative to lithium-ion, it will quickly establish itself as the default choice for stationary energy storage.

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BATTERY HERO

Bob Galyen reflects on four decades in the world of energy storage It was a chance encounter at a conference in Shenzhen in December 2011 that led Bob Galyen, the ‘thinking man’s battery man’, to make a lifechanging decision to join what has now become one of the biggest lithium battery companies in the world.

Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited company — better known as CATL — was founded in 2011 by Zeng Yuqun, who is known to the west as Robin Zeng.

Based in Ningde, a city on the southeast coast of China, the com-

pany has burgeoned worldwide and now has manufacturing facilities from Yokohama in Japan to Detroit in the US, to Paris, France.

In October 2019 it began to build what will become its European manufacturing base in Erfurt, Germany.

CATL has expanded its portfolio to batteries for grid storage as well as electric vehicles, and also says it recycles batteries through its subsidiary, Guangdong Brunp.

But this hadn’t yet happened when Galyen met Zeng.

“I wasn’t looking for a new job, but the idea of working in China with one of the fastest growing battery companies in the world appealed to me” www.energystoragejournal.com

“It all started when I met Robin Zeng at a Shenzhen conference in December 2011,” says Galyen. “Robin asked me to dinner to meet ‘some’ of his engineering managers.

“To be precise — there were 56 of them. He wanted them to have some external exposure to the automotive industry.

“Little did I know that it would turn into a job offer by April 2012. I wasn’t looking for a new job, but the idea of working in China with one of the fastest growing battery companies in the world appealed to me. It appeared that all those years of training in the battery and automotive sector would pay off in a job offer as the CTO of the company.”

In April the following year, the offer was signed and sealed and Galyen was packing his bags for an eight-year stint in the world’s most populous country to help create the energy storage powerhouse of the future.

With his career at its peak, Galyen says he was looking at the bigger picture when he met Robin Zeng — and there were two reasons that tempted him.

“Europe and the US were just not ramping up in electrification of transportation,” he says. “CATL — now the world’s largest battery maker — was on track to build an empire and that’s what we did in five years.”

The other reason was China’s burning need for change.

“The social load on the country was huge — people were becoming ill with respiratory diseases and dying. The Chinese authorities were aware of the situation and motivated to want to change.”

Building the batteries to power the next generation of electric vehicles would be a huge step forward in mitigating the problems of air pollution.

Galyen says pollution and suffering know no borders — by accelerating electrification in China, he feels he has helped the entire globe to be cleaner and more sustainable.

“Working in China with CATL is part of my passion to create a better

Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020 • 31

BATTERY HERO

Galyen, representing NAATBatt, presents Nobel Laureate John Goodenough (left) with the association’s Pioneers Medallion for his work on the lithium battery and (right) with Detchko Pavlov with its lifetime achievement award for his immense contribution to our understanding of the inner mechanisms of the lead battery.

planet for my family,” he says. “I may not live to see the fruits of my labour, but I know we’ve made a difference.”

In fact, since his retirement last year, Galyen has continued to work with CATL as a senior consultant.

Beginnings The oldest son of four children, Galyen was raised in the US Midwest.

His father was disabled and the family struggled, but he did well at school both academically and at sport.

After graduating from college with a dual bachelor’s degree in chemistry and biology, followed by a master’s in chemistry, Galyen took to technology and was accepted for a post at the ‘89 Day Wonder’ scheme at General Motors’ Delco Remy plant at Anderson, Indiana.

This was a well-known scheme whereby GM employed college students for 89 days, terminating them on the 90th day before they could legally become UAW union workers.

It was cheap labour for the company but the students benefited from the structured learning environment and the income. GM liked him. As a staff engineer at the Delco Remy Division of General Motors — then regarded as perhaps the most exciting division of the automotive giant — he was to work there until 1998, when it was spun off to become Delphi.

He started in the materials analysis lab but was then put on a tour of duty that led him through every engineering position on product, process and materials areas.

It was a huge grounding in the automotive business and it would stand him in good stead for the rest of his

32 • Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020

career. And there were many career milestones on the way — creating the first math model of batteries; start-up of a dedicated separator manufacturing plant; designing multiple OEM batteries; generating new polymer specifications for case and covers; establishing new methods of formation processes; and more.

The Impact and EV1 During this time Galyen was a guiding figure in the battery design for GM’s Impact electric concept car — a twoseater sporty coupé with a top speed of 100mph (limited to 75mph). He remembers with pride being the staff engineer for the Impact car’s VRLA battery and logging the miles in a closed-loop track at GM’s Milford Proving Grounds.

The development of this VRLA battery was a major undertaking as it was one of the first gas recombinant lead acid batteries to move into large-scale production for electrified vehicles.

The use of an adsorptive glass mat to hold the free electrolyte, while allowing for gas to transport across for recombination, was in its infancy at the time. Understanding the correct saturation levels, the right positive to negative active material balances to that of the electrolyte, took some fine tuning for the electric car.

The result was one of the best VRLA batteries built in its era. The battery systems were modified in later versions of the Impact.

It was Galyen’s experience on the Impact that led him to become the lead engineer for batteries on GM’s EV1 vehicle platform.

It’s hard nowadays to quite under-

stand how important the EV1 was in the mid-1990s.

It was the first mass-produced and purpose-designed electric vehicle of modern times from a major automaker. But it also — as GM had recognized with the Impact — happened at a time when environmental concerns were coming to the fore.

Perhaps the big driver behind this came from California, where air quality was reckoned to be worse than all the other US states combined.

The California Air Resource Board delivered the knock-out punch. It ruled that each of the seven largest carmakers in the US — the largest of which was GM — would be required to make 2% of its fleet emissions free by 1998 (conveniently forgetting that EVs were recharged by fossil-fuelled power plants).

Galyen was at the heart of this automotive revolution, arguably the most exciting change in motoring in a generation.

At the time, EV1 was reckoned by some to be the second most complicated tech project after the space shuttle.

It was the first time a futuristic EV, including computer systems, aerodynamics, electric drive train, power brakes, self-sealing tyres and wheel systems, had all come together. There was also the innovative use of regenerative braking.

The zero-emission vehicle had arrived and every aspect of the demands on the EV had to be met with a battery powerful enough to deliver.

But the public greeted the launch of the EV1 in 1995 with … apathy.

Some EV1 drivers were enthusiastic,

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BATTERY HERO but uptake was so slow that cars began piling up on dealer lots. Finally, in 1999, after spending $1.5 billion on the project, GM stopped making the EV1 after about 1,000 had been built. It, like Toyota, had discovered that there was limited interest in an all-electric car.

Galyen doesn’t hide his disappointment when he talks about how GM discontinued the EV1. He wonders where we would be now if the car had been embraced by the people and government when it was first developed.

It was to be another decade before GM started to look again at electric vehicles and then it was a hybrid, the Chevy Volt.

Life between GM and CATL For the next few years Galyen set up various small entrepreneurial businesses — Tawas, Indy Power Systems and World Energy Labs — capitalizing on his quarter century’s worth of experience.

Tawas in particular proved successful, specializing in battery testing, materials analysis, field testing and a host of consulting services focused on energy generation and storage.

“We had a very strong background in battery design and process engineering, coupled with significant application knowledge — it made us possibly the most comprehensive testing facility of its type in the world,” Galyen says.

Galyen’s views were in demand from the US government too, and he was one of the key advisers in parts of the huge ARRA stimulus package that president Barack Obama initiated in 2009. Some $2 billion was to be invested in the manufacture of advanced car battery systems and components, with further sums to be invested in electric vehicle development and procurement.

But the world of EVs was still calling and Galyen’s consultancy work expanded into a permanent position as president of global cells and battery pack systems in the e-Car Division with Magna International, where for the next three years his energy storage and material testing expertise was split between his home in Auburn Hills in Michigan, with work in Graz, Austria and Aurora Canada.

As division president he had global profit and loss responsibility for all development, testing and production of cells, modules and battery packs systems.

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Setting standards Both before his time in China and during it, Galyen was chairman of the SAE’s (Society of Automotive Engineers) Battery Standards Steering Committee.

He still regards this work as offering the most positive contributions to the energy storage industry. The need for a coordination of standards is a pressing issue as the energy storage and automotive markets forge ahead with new technologies and innovations.

The Steering Committee drills down into 24 sub-committees, including the recently added Micro-mobility and Heavy Duty e-Equipment committees. The micro team is particularly

important, with the explosive growth of scooters, skateboards, hoverboards and several other personal mobility devices.

With safety incidents and other problems emerging, Galyen points out standards are always chasing technology, but “we just need to get a consistent methodology for testing these things”.

He is equally proud of the Heavy Duty Equipment committee and its efforts to make the gravel and soil giants that reshape the Earth safer through non-diesel options, resulting in a quieter, cleaner, safer craft.

Always on the lookout for industry standouts willing to serve, Galyen makes a plea for volunteers, along with a carrot of sorts: “There is always a challenge getting people to donate time — I get it, people are busy.

Giving your time is an act of social responsibility, but where else can you have such in-depth contacts with colleagues, suppliers and competitors, as well as creating a long-lasting document for your industry?”

If you could be interested in joining a committee, contact www.sae.org.

For his work for SAE, Galyen has been made an SAE Fellow, an honour even he concedes is “quite prestigious”.

“Given that the battery represents some 40%-50% of the cost of an EV it is important to get these standards determined — soon and correctly.”

But no matter how pleased Galyen has been with his experience with CATL and in China, the eight years of a trans-global commute had to come to an end at some point.

“Working in China with CATL is part of my passion to create a better planet for my family. I may not live to see the fruits of my labour, but I know we’ve made a difference” Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020 • 33

BATTERY HERO “We thought, what could be better than getting one of the world’s finest battery experts on our team?

Little did we know at the time that while Bob was truly an expert in batteries, he was skilled in both chemistry and biology and has had a long-hidden passion to work in these areas since his college days” — Tygrus CEO Dan Jenuwine.

Highlights of Galyen’s career Awards • People’s Republic of China “Friendship Award” • People’s Republic of China “National Distinguished Expert” • NAABATT International Lifetime Achievement • SAE Fellow • SAE International “Outstanding Contribution Award” • Ball State University “Circle of Excellence” Award • General Motors “Best of Best” • Automotive News “Electrifying 100” • NFPA Fire Prevention Research Foundation “Foundation Medal” • Energy Systems Network “Jim Rodgers Award” Professional participation & non-profit organizations • SAE International Battery Standards Steering Committee chairman (24 sub committees) • NAATBatt international chairman emeritus • NAATBatt international chief technical officer • Dean’s Executive Advisory Board, Ball State University • Lugar Center for Renewable Energy Advisory Board

34 • Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020

Another chance encounter Retirement beckoned. It was time.

But that wasn’t quite the end. After he stepped down from the Chinese giant, a dream position opened up.

The retirement solution — if retirement is quite the word for Galyen — came with another chance encounter in September 2018, this time with a company called Tygrus.

“We thought, what could be better than getting one of the world’s finest battery experts on our team? Little did we know at the time that while Bob was truly an expert in batteries, he was skilled in both chemistry and biology and has had a long-hidden passion to work in these areas since his college days,” says Tygrus CEO Dan Jenuwine.

Tygrus is a technology, manufacturing and licensing company that has developed new patented chemistries.

Tygrus’ vision is to replace hazardous chemistries with safer, less toxic alternatives across a wide variety of applications.

One of these applications is the use of a safer acid as an alternative for sulfuric acid in the battery manufacturing process.

Today, Galyen champions the company’s continued work in batteries and is intimately involved in work in two other areas.

First, in agriculture, he has been instrumental in forging relationships with Purdue University, Indiana State University, IUPU, Ball State, and the University of Kentucky.

His relationships have opened doors to assist the Tygrus subsidiary Aqueus to explore the mode of action behind increased plant growth and yield when the company’s product is applied to plants.

Second, Galyen is assisting the company in its disinfectant subsidiary ZELLUS to advance its technology for commercialization.

Having had the opportunity early in April to be tested in a level 3 US Government lab under the direction of Tony Atala of Wake Forest University, the company found out that the Tygrus chemistry killed Covid-19 in one minute or less at a 5-log reduction.

“We are privileged and honoured to have the opportunity to work with a man like Bob, who has a reputation of turning ideas into opportunities to maximize profits,” says Jenuwine.

“Bob is a wonderful adviser, but he also is a thoughtful and kind individual.”

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COVER STORY: HYDROPOWER + BATTERIES

The forgotten workhorse of energy storage brings itself up to date Dubbed the ‘forgotten workhorse’ of energy storage, the hydropower sector is getting an overhaul. Leading the charge for change are new battery solutions.

By Debbie Mason and Sara Verbruggen

Eddie Rich, CEO of the International Hydropower Association

36 • Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020

Although it has long been far out in front of the rest of the field when it comes to global energy storage capacity (with more than 94%), recent growth in the pumped storage hydropower (PSH) sector has stagnated, says the International Hydropower Association.

A lack of policy and financial incentives for new developments, as well as environmental considerations, are to blame — and now, with two major initiatives, they are being addressed.

“While significant amounts of variable renewables are placed on to grids and ageing thermal plants retire, pumped storage development remains almost stagnant,” says the Londonbased IHA. “Outside China, the world’s largest pumped storage producer, year-on-year installed capac-

ity growth has been just 1.5% since 2014.

“This has been due to a combination of factors, including a lack of understanding or awareness about PSH’s capabilities, complex permitting arrangements, and outdated market and regulatory frameworks that fail to provide appropriate incentives for development. Investment decisions are now needed urgently.”

The increase of renewables such as wind and solar has been widely hailed as answering the need for less burning of fossil fuels, but their lack of inertia and volatility means they will never be the complete answer. Hydro, the oldest renewable energy resource, can fill that gap — but it needs to be updated in order to do so.

“Hydro is an existing, proven, flex-

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COVER STORY: HYDROPOWER + BATTERIES

David Samuel, senior hydropower sector analyst with the IHA

ible technology but there has to be a focus on bringing it online to meet the needs of the evolving energy mix,” says David Samuel, senior hydropower sector analyst with the IHA. “By 2050 there will be a drastic emphasis on renewables and decarbonization and there’s a real need to modernize the services that hydropower already provides and improve it even more.”

Before the sector gets caught napping, the IHA and the US Department of Energy have launched two major initiatives to bring the technology up to date — an International Forum on

Pumped Storage Hydropower and a raft of demo technologies all looking to innovate the world’s water batteries.

Launch of international forum For the first time in the pumped storage hydropower sector an international forum has been launched, bringing 11 governments and 60 other organizations together to work out how to tap hydropower’s potential as a ‘clean, green battery’.

Under the umbrella of the IHA and US Department of Energy, the governments of the US, Austria, Brazil, Estonia, Greece, India, Indonesia, Is-

EU Water Framework Directive and how batteries come into play In 2000 the European Union launched the Water Framework 2000/60/EC, which shows ‘how hydropower can be made to operate in accordance with the requirements of the Habitats and Birds Directives’.

New projects must meet a raft of regulations such as river basin management, flood and water flow management to protect flora and fauna that can be affected by changing water levels, water temperature changes (which are

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often noticeable during peak discharge periods and which certain species cannot survive) and dams.

This affects the levels of water permitted in reservoirs and how quickly the levels can be changed — and if batteries can take up the slack, this can be addressed, smoothing peaks and troughs without compromising power, says Andritz Hydro marketing director Jens Päutz.

The Directive also says that modernizing existing plants is preferable to building new ones,

rael, Morocco, Norway and Switzerland gathered together this November with financial institutions, NGOs and energy companies to put PSH at the forefront of policies to cement the technology’s leading position in global storage and make sure it stays there.

Energy companies involved include the likes of SSE, GE Renewable Energy and EDF; international funding banks include the World Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and Asian Development Bank; and agencies include IRENA, the IEA, and GEIDCO — the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization.

In a wide-ranging programme to prepare for an ‘upsurge in pumped storage developments’ and also to improve existing capacity, the forum will spend 12 months exploring regulation/permit and investment barriers; sharing best practices; examining new market mechanisms; assessing differences between regions and opportunities; working out incentives to development; and learning from other sectors.

The forum has been divided into three main focus areas — Policy and

and by combining batteries with old facilities this ticks that box too.

Andritz is even hopeful that the technology could provide a home for second-life lithium batteries when they are no longer fit for EV use – once there is a market available, says Päutz.

“For the time being there are no second-life batteries available but in the long term that could be an answer — you need a second market for the battery and long term this could be a potential one,” he says.

Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020 • 37

COVER STORY: HYDROPOWER + BATTERIES

“This is a new perspective to hydro, using a battery to reduce the wear and tear on the turbines …Traditional power generation is not able to respond in 10 seconds, so this is where batteries come into play, because they can respond in less than a second, and this is why they are jumping into this market” — Jean-Louis Drommi, master of engineering, EDF

Market Frameworks, which will be led by GE, a big turbine manufacturer; Capabilities, Costs and Innovation, led by mechanical engineers Voith Group; and Sustainability, led by energy firm EDF. It will meet three times — the first meeting was held virtually on November 3 — between now and September 2021 to update and give progress reports.

“IRENA (the International Renewable Energy Agency) has said that pumped storage hydropower needs to nearly double by 2050 to meet ambitious global climate targets. The good news is that there is massive potential, with 600,000 potential off-river sites identified, plus opportunities for modernizing existing plants,” says Eddie Rich, CEO of the IHA. “Over the next year, the forum’s partners are expected to exchange good practices and agree proposals to clear the way for an upsurge in pumped storage developments while also looking at ways to improve the sustainability and efficiency of existing facilities.”

XFLEX HYDRO battery hybrid trial The other major initiative that has been launched this year by the IHA thanks to €18 million ($21.5 million) from the EU is XFLEX HYDRO, in which 19 partners are working on seven projects in three countries in an effort to modernize and improve what hydropower already offers (see separate box on facing page).

The projects are all demonstrating technologies such as variable speed turbines, hydraulic short circuit operations and a battery hybrid, which is an example of an early trend that

XFLEX HYDRO project led by EDF, using a lithium battery with the hydropower plant at Vogelgrun

38 • Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020

has appeared in Europe’s northern regions — of hydropower facilities incorporating conventional lithium-ion batteries with PSH plants to enhance their performance and save wear and tear on the turbines.

With 23,000 hydropower plants in Europe, according to the EU, the potential for battery makers could be vast. Of these plants, the vast majority — 91% — have less than 10MWh capacity each. The rest, just 9% of plants, generate 87% of all hydropower.

EDF’s master of engineering, JeanLouis Drommi, is working on the XFLEX HYDRO project’s battery hybrid. It has been installed at the Vogelgrun 142MW run-of-river power station on the Rhine, on the border with France and Germany.

It generates about 776GWh of electricity a year, which supplies 200,000 households, and its four Kaplan turbines have been in service since 1959.

Now a small 600kW/300kWh battery has been added to work with one of the turbines to add storage and high-duty power supply to increase its grid frequency control capability and reduce the wear and tear on the turbine.

“As long as the maintenance cost of the turbines, avoided because of the battery, is greater than the cost of the battery you have to replace, then you make a profit,” says Drommi.

“This is a new perspective to hydro, using a battery to reduce the wear and tear on the turbines — which when they are spinning with constant power, are fine. But they wear when the water flow has to change.

“Because of the non-regulated renewables, the so-called non-dispatchable renewables — solar and wind — you have to take the sun and wind as they come, so it means the grid frequency has to be adjusted in real time almost, with the sun, the clouds and the wind.

“Therefore, this led the grid operators to ask for a new product — fast frequency regulation. Traditional power generation — thermal and hydro — is not able to respond with speed as fast as ten seconds, so this is where batteries come into play, because they can respond in less than a second, and this is why they are jumping into this market.

“But to put a battery system on the grid you need a grid connection point, and these are scarce, expensive and difficult to obtain because you need a switch of high voltage, quite costly equipment — but the beauty is that

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COVER STORY: HYDROPOWER + BATTERIES with hydropower, we already have these connection points to the grid.

The same point can be used by the battery system.”

Drommi says so far, they have found lithium-ion batteries to be the best compromise between cost and life expectancy, but they are not the only option.

“They are expensive and although their price is decreasing, nevertheless when coming to other options for frequency and pure storage we are looking at zinc-air batteries.

“They are better for a solution when cycling is not the main purpose of the battery, it’s storage.”

HyBaTec battery solution Andritz Hydro is also working on the XFLEX HYDRO battery hybrid demonstration at Vogelgrun, having already developed its own solution.

Part of the Austrian plant engineering group Andritz AG, the Andritz Hydro subsidiary supplies electromechanical systems and services for PSH plants all over the world, claiming global installations more than 30,000 turbines (with a total power capacity of more than 420GW).

The firm has come up with what it calls a HyBaTec battery solution for the hydropower industry, which integrates a lithium-ion battery with the plant and its control system to extend the lifetime of the turbines and optimize revenue by offering grid services.

This is one of the keys to the future in making hydropower profitable, says Andritz Hydro marketing director Jens Päutz.

“If you’re only participating in base load you have a very bad tariff,” he says. “Hydropower is in most cases a base load application, but if other renewables like wind and solar take over the market and hydropower is left in the background, all the units will find it challenging to operate in frequency control.

“Before, you operated the unit and the level of flow control, but today if you are working in frequency control and try to support the grid for a better tariff, then you have up to 3,000 movements per day, which is mechanically stressing the unit.

“Also, in the developed market you have more opportunity to participate in the primary, secondary and frequency control markets, but in most cases the mechanical inertia of the hydropower unit is not as quick as the grid quota or contractual need for participating.

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Further demonstrations Other XFLEX HYDRO demonstrations being run alongside that in Vogelgrun in north-east France, all of which are monitored by Andritz’s new Smart Power Plant Supervisor software: Portugal • Alto Lindoso (630MW) — To evaluate the cost of converting the plant to variable speed turbines • Alqueva (520MW) — To demonstrate the use of hydraulic short circuit operation (where pumps can be operated at the same time as the turbines) • Caniçada (70MW) — To assess potential of enhanced system integration of full-scale frequency converter technology • Frades 2 (780MW) — To demonstrate hydraulic short circuit operation, variable speed units and smart controls France • Grand Maison (1,800MW) — To demonstrate hydraulic short circuit, new turbine runners and automation techniques at Europe’s largest PSH plant Switzerland • Z’Mutt (88MW) — To demonstrate variable speed turbine with smart controls to provide greater flexibility.

Further benefits Batteries in combination with hydropower plants can: • Extend lifetime by reducing mechanical stress • Expand opportunities to enter energy markets • Offer flexible storage — peak shifting • Up to 25% extension of operation range • Be installed in existing plants.

“In Austria, for example, if you want to participate with 1MW in the primary control market, we have to supply that 1MW within 30 seconds.

In most cases hydropower units are not capable of handling that. You are over stressing the unit as the inertia is blocking it.

“The battery in combination will cover that missing link and can very smoothly support that, especially with primary control, where the battery can be used to deliver very fast additional guaranteed power to the grid in case of need.

“With secondary control, the battery can be used to respond as soon as the grid requests it, the turbine can be started slowly and not have to operate at very low load — which helps with the lifetime of the turbine.”

They can also step in when blackstart is required, eliminating the need for emergency diesel generators, he says.

Early promise for batteries No one is suggesting that pumped storage hydropower has a competitor in batteries, whatever chemistry they are.

But they could have the potential to bring the old workhorse up to a thoroughbred class.

“Where batteries come in is not for bulk storage applications,” says Samuel, at the IHA. “This is where pumped hydro is in a league of its own. At the moment it has top spot and in the next few years that won’t reduce significantly.

“One of the problems with batteries as grid support is that they have only synthetic inertia, whereas the turbines in a hydropower plant provide natural inertia to give the grid a level of stability that it needs to withstand shocks or variability on the system.

“However, where batteries are good is that they can provide quick, fast response — and battery capacity is going up per project. But in terms of cost there’s a long way to go compared with hydro on a macro scale.”

Päutz says Andritz’s HyBaTec solution is one of just a handful of projects — such as XFLEX HYDRO — that are beginning to explore the feasibility of batteries in this environment.

“We are one of the first to try to offer this solution, and we are just starting ourselves,” he says.

“There are a few projects in the market, mostly realized by the operator or owner themselves. The technology is only making small steps … but we are opening the door.”

Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020 • 39

COVER STORY: HYDROPOWER + BATTERIES

Battery/hydro hybrid case studies Italian multinational electricity generating firm Nidec ASI has taken up the hydropower/battery combination challenge, with projects in Sweden and Austria.

Case study: Sweden Nidec ASI is supplying two systems at two sites, a 6MW installation in Edsele and a 9MW installation in Lövön, both owned by energy producer Uniper, which owns gas, nuclear, coal and hydro plants in Germany, the UK, France, the Netherlands, Hungary and Russia.

It produced 12.7TWh of electricity from hydropower in 2019, which came second to gas in the country at 60.2TWh. The Edsele and Lövön power plants will provide fast frequency reserve service to Swedish grid operator Svenska Kraftnät, and combining hydropower with battery storage will enable Uniper to operate the turbines in the hydroelectric plants more steadily, helping to preserve their operational lifetime. The Lövön battery was being installed at the time of going to press.

Laurent Gagneur, battery energy storage system sizing and energy management system engineer with Nidec France,

Case study: Austria Nidec has provided a battery to the Austrian electricity firm Verbund, also the largest owner of hydropower plants in the country, at a hydroelectric plant in Wallsee-Mitterkirchen, on the River Danube.

The battery, which has been operating for about two months, provides 10MW (8MW primary control plus 2MW output for charging management)/14.2MWh storage. It is Austria’s largest battery installation to date.

Verbund’s goal is to aggregate the battery with hydropower plants within its pool of these plants. While the turbines can provide the primary control power service on their own, integration with the battery limits the stress on them.

Like other markets, Austria is seeing increasing levels of solar and wind generation, which is increasing the need for

40 • Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020

says combining hydropower with batteries potentially opens up more grid services that the hybrid plant can provide, increasing revenue opportunities.

“By integrating each source with each other it can also be mutually beneficial, in terms of helping to optimize the operational lifetime of the battery system but also the hydropower plant’s turbines,” says Gagneur.

The goal is to find the sweet spot for the systems to perform and operate as a hybrid plant, compared with running them as individual assets.

“During the commissioning phases for these projects we have a certain degree of freedom because we needed to understand how hydroelectric plants operate and how the battery storage system will work when coupled with it,” says Gagneur.

“There were lots of discussions about how to couple the technologies as we embarked on the projects. We’ll be able to see how the hydropower plant and the BESS operate and behave during the commissioning phase and then adapt.”

He says another important part is the specification set by the transmission system operator for the services the hybrid assets will be expected to meet.

“They have to perform by achieving a certain dynamic responsiveness to the grid and how they integrate must also ensure this is met.

“That meant we had to work out how the turbines would work with the batteries and achieve the best operational sweet spot for both systems but also in relation to the TSO’s grid services.” more flexibility, compounded by the closure of thermal power generation — Austria closed its last coal-powered power plant in April.

The ‘BlueBattery’ at Wallsee-Mitterkirchen, comprising 61,000 lithium ion battery cells in modules that are housed in five containers, will show how the hydropower/battery combination can help provide flexibility and maintain security of supply.

When the grid needs primary control reserve for short periods, the BlueBattery releases energy and is recharged directly by the hydropower plant.

In exceptional cases, when frequency deviations are too great, the plant’s turbine supplies primary control. Together, the combined storage system and hydropower plant capacity can provide the Austrian grid with a total of 16MW of primary control power.

The battery installation is part of a much wider overhaul and upgrade of the 210MW run-of-river hydropower facility at Wallsee-Mitterkirchen, which sits between upper and lower Austria.

The plant is more than 50 years old. Each of the facility’s six turbines and rotors are being renovated in an extensive programme of works that will be complete by 2026.

Renovations include repairs to turbines due to wear and tear, new transformers and works to the generator and switchgear. Each rotor is 11 metres high and weighs more than 200 tonnes.

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EVENT REVIEW: ALL-ENERGY

All-Energy continues to satisfy the needs of the industries – virtually!

All-Energy, organised by Reed Exhibitions, has played a key role in the UK renewable and low carbon energy industry since 2001 with its major exhibition and a conference featuring some 600 speakers over the two days.

All-Energy/Dcarbonise returns ‘live’ to SEC on August 18-19, 2021. Two of the show’s regular speakers have expressed their views: Scotland’s energy minister, Paul Wheelhouse:

Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, spoke at All-Energy 2019 and in the 2020 webinar series

Once the announcement was made that due to Covid-19 it was being postponed, a virtual conference was the obvious answer and one suggested by many loyal followers of the annual event held in Scotland was at Glasgow’s SEC (where the United Nation’s COP26 will be held next November).

Twenty-six webinars have now been held, looking at many of the aspects covered by All-Energy and the colocated Dcarbonise (which covers low carbon heat, energy efficiency, including the built environment; industrial decarbonization; smart and sustainable cities; and low-carbon transport). There are still many more topics (including a dedicated energy storage session) to be covered in 2021 and stellar speakers poised ready to join panels.

The 2020 series kicked off with a quartet of webinars held in May 2020: a scene-setting traditional-style ‘plenary’, and sessions on offshore

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wind, hydrogen (with plenty of mentions about energy storage) and low carbon heat.

The 2020 series culminated in the All-Energy/Dcarbonise Virtual Summit (eight webinars in three days) with Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon and the country’s energy minister Paul Wheelhouse among the speakers. Since the event was created it has regularly attracted senior politicians and officials from both the Scottish government and the UK government – long may that continue!

The 26 webinars resulted in 15,650 registrations and unique attendance (either on the day or on demand) of well over 11,000, proving the worth of the series both to the audience and the organisers and demonstrating their determination to continue to satisfy the needs of the industries.

Further information at www.allenergy.co.uk with a link to all 26 webinars available ‘on-demand’.

“I am delighted that All-Energy and Dcarbonise is now scheduled to take place in August next year, especially as we look forward to a successful COP26 taking place in Glasgow soon after that.

“All-Energy and Dcarbonise have become an annual highlight for industry professionals and policymakers alike, and I congratulate them for their great resilience over recent months, which they have demonstrated through the delivery of a series of webinars, two of which I was delighted to take part in. I very much look forward to the Scottish government’s continued engagement with the event and wish the organisers well with their planning.”

Keith Anderson, CEO of Scottish Power, a regular plenary session speaker who has also chaired three of the All-Energy webinars during 2020, said: “I’m delighted to hear that All-Energy Dcarbonise 2021 has now been confirmed for August next year. In addition to being the key event in the UK energy calendar, the new dates provide a timely opportunity for the industry to come together just ahead of COP26 coming to Glasgow in November.”

Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020 • 41

EVENT REVIEW: INDIA ENERGY STORAGE WEEK India Energy Storage Week (3-6 November, with pre-conference workshops on November 2)

IESW — a successful event despite the limitations of online conferencing Despite the ongoing coronavirus, India Energy Storage Week (November 3-6, with pre-conference workshops on November 2), was hailed a huge success.

The numbers spoke for themselves.

There were more than: • 20 countries represented • 50 regulators and policy makers • 100 partners and exhibitors • 200 industry leaders that gathered online in the new virtual circumstances that have had to replace physical conferencing — for now.

Former minister Shri Suresh Prahbu emphasized India’s ambitious renewable generation target during the week, during which the likes of NITI Aayog, the Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy all took part.

The 4th IESA Industry Excellence Awards also recognized pioneers in the storage and EV industry in India, and acknowledged all the companies and industry stalwarts that had made their mark in the sector through technological innovation, market leadership and competitive strategy.

India is predicted to be the largest market for advanced energy storage technologies within five years, which means the India Energy Storage Alliance needs to propagate the vision by bringing industry leaders together on a single platform to discuss growth prospects and roadblocks in the sector.

And this is where the IESW plays a vital part.

India is on the right path to adopting energy storage backed by the exponential growth of behindthe-meter and grid-scale demand, and this is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 6.1% by 2026. Global investment is projected to reach $100 billion in the same period.

To meet the demand, a huge number of companies are coming to the fore, and Indian state governments such as Delhi and Telangana have announced policies to create a conducive ecosystem for EV adoption in their states.

Spending commitments have been made, and more than 50 firms have

42 • Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020

been handed funding for serviceside innovation, MBS, thermal management and so on.

The week was a perfect opportunity for the IESA to set out its strategies for accelerating the country’s e-mobility journey, its market size and potential and the huge opportunities ahead.

Sessions and launches The flagship event featured sessions on ‘Make in India’; the global EV manufacturing ecosystem; regulations and policy in electric mobility; R&D; skill development; capacity building; and many others.

Two parallel energy storage workshops meant delegates could learn from experts with hands-on experience of the advanced technologies and solutions offered today.

IESA also launched MIGHT (Mobility and Infrastructure with Green Hydrogen Technology) at the IESW, an initiative focusing work on hydrogen production, storage and applications, including stationary power generation, transport and other uses in India.

Two dedicated sessions on hydrogen and fuel cells were run in partnership with Innovation Norway and Business Finland for India.

There was also a session dedicated to women in energy storage and EVs on November 2, promoting the women in these emerging areas.

An informal IESA-WEN (Women in Energy Network) was formed, inviting women to various activities

throughout the year. The IESA intends to work with 100 members to increase the number of women participating in the sector.

Finally, UNIDO (the UN Industrial Development Organization), with IESA and Customized Energy Solutions (CES) launched UNIDO FLCTD — the Energy Storage Innovation Challenge.

Through this, start-ups and leading companies can apply before December 18 for a grant of $50,000 for demo projects and deployments in this space in India.

Looking forward “The recent developments and trends in the energy sector project India as a growth-centric, investor-friendly and environmentally conscious country,” said Rahul Walawalkar, president and MD of CES India.

“The third largest automotive market in the world is setting its course for a future where road transport is powered by zero emissions and the EV market is anticipated to grow at a robust CAGR of 43% between 2019 and 2025.

“Energy storage thus holds enigmatic importance, and IESW brought together global leaders and stakeholders to uncover the possibilities of making India a global hub of EV manufacturing in times to come.”

“We’re overwhelmed by the response received from the industry during India Energy Storage Week and look forward to the 2021 event.”

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FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Disruption to the events programme As the winter conference season approached for the battery and energy storage industry, hosts and organizers were struggling to decide whether to go ahead with events that have been in the diary for months, if not years.

As this issue was released, and with the situation changing on an hourly basis, a variety of energy conferences and meetings had been postponed. While we have taken every effort to ensure these details are correct, please contact the conference organizers with any queries, or check websites throughout the listings.

Battery Tech Expo Nordic

All-Energy

November 3 Gothenburg, Sweden

November 4-5 Glasgow, UK

Rescheduled for September 30, 2021

Rescheduled for August 18 - 19, 2021

The battery industry is on the cusp of a power revolution, with big technology companies investing heavily in the next generation of battery development and energy storage.

The Battery Tech Expo Nordic on November 3 is in Gothenburg, the hub of the high-tech industrial sector, and will bring together professionals from across the advanced battery technology industry.

The event will provide a unique opportunity to showcase the latest products, technologies and services covering battery management systems, EV battery, battery storage, battery development/discovery, commercial and mobile power device sectors.

All-Energy is the UK’s leading renewable energy and low carbon innovation event, showcasing the latest technologies and services for the energy supply chain and both private and public sector energy end users.

All-Energy generates invaluable connections between the buyers and sellers of low carbon solutions across the UK marketplace.

With more than 75,000 unique web users, 4,000 e-newsletter subscribers per month and 12,400 social media followers, All-Energy also delivers a multichannel platform for the industry with access to expert presentations, webinars, reports, interviews and blogs.

Contact 10fourMedia David Reeks Tel: +44 1283 815719 Email: david.reeks@10fourmedia.co.uk www.batterytechexponordic.com

Contact Reed Exhibitions Tel: +44 208 271 2179 www.all-energy.co.uk

Electricity Transformation Canada November 10-12 Ontario, Canada

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August 25 -27, São Paulo, Brazil Rescheduled to August 24 - 26, 2021

The special exhibition “ees South America” is the industry hotspot for suppliers, manufacturers, distributors and users of stationary and mobile electrical energy storage solutions. It will be hosted for the second time at Intersolar South America, taking place at the Expo Center Norte in São Paulo.

Covering the entire value chain of innovative battery and energy storage technologies, from components and production to specific user applications, it is the ideal platform for all stakeholders in the rapidly growing energy storage market.

The focus at ees is on energy storage solutions suited to energy systems with increasing amounts of renewable energy sources. It attracts investors, utilities, installers, manufacturers and project developers from all over the world.

Contact Solar Promotion International Tel: +49 7231 58598-0 Email: info@solarpromotion.com www.intersolar.net.br/en/home/for-visitors/ about-intersolar/focus-ees-south-america. html

The Energy Management Exhibition — EMEX London, UK Rescheduled for November 25-26, 2021

Electricity Transformation Canada will be Canada’s largest renewable energy conference and exhibition, with the key areas of focus being wind energy, solar energy and energy storage, while expanding to incorporate complementary technologies.

Participants will include utilities, system operators, governments, end-use sectors undergoing electrification, and a variety of energy professionals.

EMEX is the UK’s must-attend energy event for everyone wanting to increase their organization’s energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.

EMEX connects all industrial and commercial energy consumers with leading experts, policy makers and suppliers. EMEX is more than just an event. It’s a platform where practitioners and experts from various backgrounds and sectors are coming together to share their knowledge and experiences from successful implementations of energy efficiency strategies.

Contact Glenna Gosewich Show Director, Energy Events Tel: +1 (647) 560-7000 ggosewich@hannoverfairs.com

Contact Energy Managers Association Tel: +44 208 505 7073 Email: rr@emexlondon.com www.emexlondon.com

Rescheduled for November 17-19, 2021

Gothenburg, Sweden

ees South America

Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020 • 43

FORTHCOMING EVENTS Future Battery Forum December 10-11 Berlin, Germany V Virtual Event + Onsite The management conference brings together the entire value system of battery technologies. Across various industries more than 300 users, battery system and cell manufacturers and their suppliers will spend two days exchanging information and making valuable new contacts. The event is rounded off by the innovation exhibition with 30 inspiring showcases as a networking and break-out area.

Contact IPM Tobias Schmidt Tel: +49 511 473 147 90 www.futurebattery.eu

ees India December 15-17 Mumbai, India Rescheduled for December 14 – 16, 2021 The market potential for electrical energy storage in India is expected to be tremendous in the future — expecially driven by incoming policies for the e-mobility industry. With the great success and support of ees Europe, Europe’s largest exhibition for batteries and energy storage, ees India becomes the most powerful energy storage exhibition in India.

The exhibition is the industry hotspot for suppliers, manufacturers, distributors and users of stationary electrical energy storage solutions.

Covering the entire value chain of innovative battery and energy storage technologies — from components and production to specific user applications.

Contact Solar Promotion International Kristina Merz Tel: +49 7231 585 98 212 www.thesmartere.in/en/ees-india

Long Beach California hosts Intersolar North America in December 2021

Intersolar North America January 12 – 14 Long Beach, CA. USA Rescheduled for July 14 - 16, 2021 Intersolar North America and Energy Storage North America come together for the first time July 14-16, 2021, connecting installers, developers, utilities, technology providers, policy makers, and key stakeholders from around the world to advance the clean energy future.

Attendees get in-depth technical training, hands-on product workshops, trends and education from top experts.

Experience the solar industry’s best practices for the design, installation and maintenance of code-compliant PV and storage systems. Tour the expo floor to review the best-in-class companies and the top solutions, services, and products for the year ahead.

Contact Diversified Communications E: ISNAInfo@divcom.com www.intersolar.us

Advanced Automotive Batteries Conference Europe — AABC Europe January 17-21, 2021 Wiesbaden, Germany V Virtual Event As more European nations and international automotive OEMs invest in their commitment to vehicle electrification and eMobility, the 2021 AABC Europe event in Wiesbaden propels that momentum forward, presenting unparalleled coverage of the research and development that helps drive outcomes and supports the next generation of electric vehicle batteries.

Take part in this game-changing event, where battery technologists from leading automotive OEMs and their key suppliers explore development trends and breakthrough technologies Contact Cambridge Enertech Tel: +1 781 972 5400 Email: ce@cambridgeenertech.com www.advancedautobat.com/europe

Solar, Storage and Smart Energy Expo — Northern California January 14 – 15 San Francisco, CA Join us in January so we can guide you through policy and market changes, and set your company up to grow your business. Hear from utility, private sector and non-profit leaders from throughout the region, alongside multiple networking opportunities designed to connect you with other solar & storage professionals.

Mumbai hosts ees India in December 2021

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Contact Solar Energy Trade Shows www.events.solar/exponorth/

San Francisco hosts Solar, Storage and Smart Energy Expo — Northern California

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FORTHCOMING EVENTS International Flow Battery Forum — IFBF January 19-21, 2021 Düsseldorf, Germany V Virtual Event The IFBF is the major international conference covering all aspects of flow battery research, development, technology, manufacturing and commercialization.

Each year our agenda is guided by the proposals from delegates for presentations and posters, and we are pleased to offer a mix of topics ranging from the latest commercial developments in flow battery projects, supply of raw materials and components as well as the latest research from laboratories, universities and public and private companies from around the world for discussion in the conference.

Contact IFBF Tel: +44 1666 840 948 Email: info@flowbatteryforum.com www.flowbatteryforum.com

Solar Finance and Investment Europe February 3 – 4 London, UK V Virtual Event + Onsite The business of solar is changing as the industry scales up and technology, IT and new players to the market add complexity. This sparks a host of opportunities such as co-location of solar and storage and the rise of unsubsidised solar projects as well as challenges that will question the very business model of European solar asset owners.

Solar Finance & Investment 2021 is the meeting place where institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, solar, wind and storage funds and large energy buyers do business.

Energy Storage Policy Forum February 10 Washington, DC. USA Featuring nationally recognized policymakers and energy thoughtleaders, ESA’s Annual Energy Storage Policy Forum convenes a select audience of stakeholders from across the energy ecosystem – including state and federal regulators, policymakers, storage industry members, utility decision makers and power sector stakeholders.

The 2021 Policy Forum promises to build on exciting developments to help guide one of the most interesting and important conversations in the electric sector today.

Contact Energy Storage Association — ESA www.energystorage.org/events/policy-forum/

ACI’s Battery Recycling Europe February 17 – 18 London, UK

International Zinc & Zinc Oxide Conferences February 21 - 24 Arizona, USA The 2021 International Zinc Oxide Industry Conference is being held in conjunction with the International Zinc Conference, providing a unique opportunity to learn about new research and market trends.

Both conferences offer excellent opportunities for building business relationships and networking with colleagues. The conferences can be booked individually or as a package.

Contact Zinc International Association https://www.zinc.org/2021-internationalzinc-zinc-oxide-conferences/

Smart Energy Summit February 23 - 24 V Virtual Event

The conference will bring together battery recycling industry experts, collection scheme operators and battery manufacturers to learn, share and discuss the current and emerging topics in the battery recycling industry.

ACI’s Battery Recycling Europe will also showcase future opportunities in the battery recycling market and blend together inspirational keynotes, informative sessions, and wonderful networking opportunities.

Smart Energy Summit addresses the challenges and opportunities for utilities as consumer adoption of connected products and participation in renewable power generation increase. The event addresses the new approaches and solutions that are using connectivity and data to transform how energy is delivered.

This event also examines the impact of the IoT on utilities, energy service providers and consumers.

Contact ACI — Active Communications International www.wplgroup.com/aci/event/batteryrecycling-europe/

Contact Park Associates www.parksassociates.com/events/smartenergy-summit

Contact Solar Media www.financeeurope.solarenergyevents.com

Washington, DC hosts Energy Storage Policy Forum in February

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London hosts ACI’s Battery Recycling Europe in February

Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020 • 45

FORTHCOMING EVENTS International Battery Seminar Virtual March 9 – 11 V Virtual Event

New Delhi hosts India Smart Utility Week — ISUW

Energy Storage Summit February 23 – 24 London, UK The Energy Storage Summit, now in its 6th year, is renowned for its quality, breadth and expertise, featuring an allencompassing range of strategic and technical sessions on the adoption and deployment of storage.

The summit plays a pivotal role in the journey to propel the industry into the next stage of its development, providing an unrivalled platform to develop the right partnerships and create business opportunities of all sizes.

This eco-system event brings together the entire value chain of utilities, developers, EPCs, investors, manufacturers, energy storage providers, local government and DNOs, making this one of the must– attend storage events for 2021.

Contact Solar Media www.storagesummit.solarenergyevents.com

The Battery Technology Show February 23 – 24 Rescheduled for October 26 - 27, 2021 The Battery Technology Show will showcase the incredible developments happening across the battery and energy storage markets. If you are looking to keep up with the latest news in breakthrough technologies, gain invaluable insight from key players in the market and discover the emerging technologies which are at the frontier of the energy revolution, this is the event for you.

Contact Evolve Media Group www.batterytechnologyshow.com

46 • Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020

India Smart Utility Week — ISUW March 2 – 6 New Delhi, India ISUW 2021 will bring together India’s leading electricity, gas and water utilities, policy makers, regulators, investors and the world’s top-notch smart energy experts and researchers to discuss trends, share best practices and showcase next-generation technologies and products in smart energy and smart city domains.

Contact India Smart Grid Forum — ISGW www.isgw.in

Battery Japan 2021 March 3 – 5 Tokyo, Japan Battery Japan is a leading international exhibition for rechargeable batteries, showcasing various components, materials, devices, finished rechargeable batteries for rechargeable battery R&D and manufacturing. It is held twice a year in Tokyo (March) and Osaka (September).

As the longest-running annual battery industry event in the world, this meeting has always been the preferred venue to announce significant developments, new products, and showcase the most advanced battery technology.

Founded in 1983, the International Battery Seminar & Exhibit has established itself as the premier event showcasing the state of the art of worldwide energy storage technology developments for consumer, automotive, military, and industrial applications.

Key thought leaders will assemble to not only provide broad perspectives, but also informed insights into significant advances in materials, product development, manufacturing and application for all battery systems and enabling technologies.

Contact Cambridge Enertech www.internationalbatteryseminar.com

Intersolar Middle East March 15 – 17 Dubai, UAE. Rescheduled for June 14 – 16, 2021 Take your chance to join the most powerful platform in the MENA region, Middle East Energy (MEE), Intersolar and ees. The leading energy exhibitions are joining hands to codeliver an outstanding renewables and energy storage event at Middle East Energy 2021. It is the largest gathering of solar and renewable energy industry professionals in the Middle East & Africa, offering the most effective trade-focused platform to international manufacturers and distributors looking to meet regional buyers.

Contact Informa Exhibitions & Intersolar www.intersolar.ae/en/home.html

Contact Reed Exhibitions www.batteryjapan.jp/en-gb.html

Tokyo, Japan

Dubai, UAE

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FORTHCOMING EVENTS Energy Storage Europe March 16 – 18 Düsseldorf, Germany For those who would like to get to know the entire world of energy storage, its leading technologies and key-figures, there is only one destination: Energy Storage Europe in Düsseldorf.

The unrivalled focus on energy storage can only be found here in Düsseldorf, where the entire range of technologies in all its diversity can be discovered: electrical, thermal, chemical and mechanical solutions.

Contact Messe Düsseldorf www.energy-storage-online.com

Interbat March 17 – 19 Moscow, Russia Russia’s premier battery event will be held again on March 17-19, 2021 in Moscow. For the 29th consecutive year, Russia’s battery storage association — better known as INTERBAT — will bring together Russian and international battery manufacturers and suppliers to meet at this most prestigious specialized exhibition and trade fair.

Contact Interbat www.interbat.ru

ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit March 17 – 19 Maryland, USA

producers and utility companies; cleantech providers; service companies and engineering contractors to foster a secure, affordable and low-carbon energy mix across Asia.

The ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit is an annual conference and technology showcase that brings together experts from different technical disciplines and professional communities to think about America’s energy challenges in new and innovative ways. Now in its eleventh year, the summit offers a unique, threeday programme aimed at moving transformational energy technologies out of the lab and into the market.

Contact DMG Events E: info@dmgevents.com www.futureenergyasia.com

Contact The Department of Energy — DoE www.arpa-e.energy.gov.

China International Battery Fair (CIBF) is an international meeting and the biggest exhibition activity in the battery industry, and is sponsored

by China Industrial Association of Power Sources. It includes all kinds of activities, such as the exhibition, technical seminar, information meeting, trade fair, etc.

CIBF2021 provides an opportunity for information and product exchange for domestic and foreign battery companies, and makes a great contribution to promoting the integration and development of battery technology at home and abroad.

Future Energy Asia March 17 – 19 Bangkok, Thailand Rescheduled for June 30-July 2, 2021 Future Energy Asia Exhibition & Conference 2021 is a global annual exhibition and conference held in Bangkok, Thailand that is dedicated to advancing future energy solutions for the region. Future Energy Asia promises to bring together the complete energy value chain in one unique meeting place and is the perfect platform for NOCs and IOCs; power

China International Battery Fair — CIBF March 19 – 21 Shenzen, China

Contact China Industrial Association of Power Sources — CIAPS www.en.cibf.org.cn/

The Battery and Energy Storage

CONFERENCE WATCH MONTHLY The definitive guide to battery energy storage conferences and meetings for the year ahead

SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE www.energystoragejournal.com

Contact Jade Beevor jade@energystoragejournal.com

Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020 • 47

FORTHCOMING EVENTS R-ZINC March 30 – 31 Bruxelles, Belgium R-ZINC offers you the opportunity to discover the latest developments and applications from the energy sector during the first meeting entirely dedicated to rechargeable zinc battery technologies and markets in the capital of Europe.

Contact EverZinc www.r-zinc.com/en/

World Future Energy Summit — WFES 2021 April 5 – 7 Abu Dhabi, UAE

Battcon May 4 – 7 Hollywood, Florida. USA

The annual World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi is a leading global industry event and exhibition for future energy, clean-tech and sustainability.

Bringing together government and business leaders, 800 specialist exhibitors and 33,500 visitors from 170 countries, it showcases pioneering technologies and ground-breaking thinking in energy, energy efficiency, water, solar, waste and smart cities.

Battcon is a high-energy mix of industry-specific presentations, panels, seminars and workshops, plus a trade show. More than 600 stationary battery users meet at Battcon for three days of professional development and networking with industry experts and peers. It’s a forum focusing on design, selection, application and maintenance for those in the data center, telecom and utility industries, who can learn from and network with industry experts.

Contact Reed Exhibitions www.worldfutureenergysummit.com

Battery Council International Convention & Power Mart Expo — BCI

Contact Vertiv Group E: Events@Battcon.com www.battcon.com

April 24 – 27 PROVISIONAL Naples, Florida. USA Battery Council International’s convention and power mart expo is North America’s premier lead battery event attracting a huge national and international audience of around 600 delegates and some 50 exhibitors displaying their wares at the Power Mart Expo. As ESJ went to press there was talk of relocating the event to San Diego, California in September.

Contact Lisa Dry Battery Council International E: ldry@batterycouncil.org www.batterycouncil.org/page/2021Home

Naples, Florida

48 • Energy Storage Journal • Winter 2020

International Advanced Battery Conference Online 2021

The Battery Show Europe

April 28 – 29

The Battery Show is presented in partnership with the Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo.

Together they bring more than 350 international suppliers to the event in Stuttgart.

Combined, the two shows make up Europe’s largest advanced battery and H/EV technology trade fair manufacturing solutions across the battery and H/EV supply chain.

V Virtual Event For the first time webcast live: the annual International Conference Advanced Battery Power, organized jointly by Haus der Technik, Essen, ISEA Institut, RWTH Aachen und MEET Batterieforschungszentrum Münster will in 2021 be hosted on a virtual conference platform and meet the networking needs of the community of battery experts in science and technology.

The Conference 2021 will again create an exceptional schedule with international key-notes in our usual good spirits presenting up-todate information on cutting-edge technology, the latest research results and forward-looking concepts.

May 18 – 20 Stuttgart, Germany

Contact Informa Markets E: thebatteryshowcs@informa.com www.thebatteryshow.eu

Contact Haus Der Technik E: hdt@hdt.de www.hdt.de

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