Storage

Voltalia Wins a Mixed Photovoltaic and Battery Storage Power Plant in French Guiana

Voltalia is the sole winner of the fifth period of the CRE 4 tender for non-interconnected areas for ground-based solar power plants in French Guiana.

The project, called “Parc Sable Blanc”, combines a five-megawatt photovoltaic power plant with a lithium-ion battery storage facility with a capacity of 5 megawatts and of 9.3 megawatt-hours.

Located in the commune of Mana, in the heart of the very dynamic Western Guiana, close to the ocean coast and the border with Suriname, “Parc Sable Blanc” was designed to produce during the day thanks to excellent sunshine and inject its production on the Guyanese electrical grid during the peak from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. after sunset.

Fully developed by Voltalia, the “Parc Sable Blanc” project will also be built and operated by its teams. It will benefit from a guaranteed selling tariff for 20 years. Once commissioned in 2023, “Parc Sable Blanc” will increase the power of the Toco complex to 19.3 megawatts with a capacity of 25.6 megawatt-hours.

Voltalia currently operates solar, hydraulic, biomass and storage power plants in French Guiana with a combined capacity of 31 megawatts, allowing the coverage of nearly 10% of the main electricity grid consumption. Sébastien Clerc, CEO, concludes: “We are very proud to have won this new project which once again strengthens our presence on the territory that saw the birth of Voltalia 16 years ago. “Parc Sable Blanc” will produce green electricity at a more competitive cost than thermal electricity.”

Renew Power In Collaboration With Stanford’s Storage X

ReNew Power, one of India’s leaders in renewable energy, is collaborating with the Precourt Institute for Energy at Stanford University and its StorageX Initiative. StorageX is an academic-industrygovernment initiative that aims to solve the most pressing real-world challenges in battery storage. ReNew’s collaboration with StorageX will focus initially on challenges surrounding grid level battery usage and performance in India, with an eye toward optimizing the performance of storage assets, and ultimately driving stable and firm power delivery to the grid. ReNew will participate in StorageX through the Stanford Energy Corporate Affiliate (SECA) program, which facilitates interactions between organizations and Stanford faculty and graduate students across the full range of energy-related topics. Through its membership in the SECA program, ReNew will have access to world-class research and opportunities for collaboration on research, education and training.

It is relevant here that in January 2020, ReNew bid on and won India’s first auction for renewable power generation combined with energy storage for guaranteed peak power supply capability. The 300 MW project was awarded by the Solar Energy Corporation of India. Additionally, ReNew has also won a tender to provide 400 MW of “Round-the-Clock” power, through renewable sources. This tender, held in May 2020, was India’s first to require “Round-theClock” reliable power generation from renewable sources. This project will use a combination of wind and solar renewable generation assets, along with storage technology, to provide annual capacity utilization of 80% - approximately double that of regular renewable energy generation projects. The ability to deliver reliable power from renewable sources at peak and off-peak hours is critical to power distribution companies’ plans to meet obligations for purchasing renewable power. That makes grid scale batteries a key part of the puzzle for solving the future energy needs of the country.

Battery Firm ESS to be Publicly Listed; Value Expected to Cross $1 Bn

ESS Tech, a manufacturer of longduration iron flow batteries for commercial and utility-scale energy storage applications, and ACON S2 Acquisition, a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company, have announced they have entered into a definitive agreement for a business combination that will result in ESS becoming a publicly listed company.

Founded in 2011 with a mission to develop the cleanest, lowest-cost long-duration energy storage systems on the market, ESS developed an iron flow battery technology with innovative technological breakthroughs that is built to transform the utility grid by enabling safe, environmentally-friendly, long-duration storage. Unlike traditional lithium-ion batteries that are made from hazardous and costly materials, ESS’ patent-protected battery solutions use abundant iron, salt and water, making them environmentally safe and cost-effective energy storage systems. The business combination values the combined company at a USD 1.072 billion pro forma enterprise value. The transaction will provide approximately USD 465 million of pro forma net cash to the combined company, assuming no redemptions by ACON S2 shareholders. As part of the transaction, ACON S2 raised a USD 250 million fully committed PIPE from institutional investors including Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC, SB Energy Global Holdings Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SoftBank Group Corp., Breakthrough Energy Ventures and BASF Venture Capital.

Renewable energy deployment is increasing dramatically, with installation records set each year and now surpassing other forms of new generation coming online.

StoreDot Announces New Framework Agreement with EVE Energy to Manufacture Silicon-Dominant Extreme Fast Charge Battery for EVs

StoreDot, the pioneer of extreme fast charging (XFC) battery technology for electric vehicles (EVs), has recently announced a new framework agreement with its strategic battery manufacturing partner EVE Energy Co., Ltd (EVE) to support the commercialization of StoreDot’s silicon-dominant anode XFC FlashBattery for EVs. The first samples will be available later this year, with a plan for mass production via conventional lithiumion battery manufacturing lines in 2024.

EVE, which is listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, is one of the top tier suppliers of EV and electricity storage system (ESS) batteries in China. The scope of the new framework agreement includes scale-up activities of StoreDot’s XFC technology, followed by the production of engineering samples targeted at showcasing the technology to EV clients. The framework agreement also covers the intention to set up a joint venture for mass production. The new deal builds on the existing framework agreement signed by StoreDot and EVE Energy in 2018 to collaborate on a small form factor of StoreDot’s XFC technology. In 2019, this XFC battery was used to demonstrate the world’s first full live charge of a two-wheeled EV in just 5 minutes (see video). In January 2021, another major milestone was reached when StoreDot released the first engineering samples of the small form factor produced at EVE Energy’s facility in China. StoreDot’s revolutionary XFC FlashBattery technology redefines the chemistry of lithium-ion batteries, taking EV charging times from hours to minutes. This breakthrough is achieved primarily by replacing graphite in the cell’s anode with metalloid nano-particles, such as silicon, to overcome major issues in safety, cycle life and cell swelling during the charging process.

Hitachi ABB Power Grids Provides Battery Storage Tech to Thailand

Switzerland-headquartered Hitachi ABB Power Grids Ltd. recently announced its selection by Impact Solar Limited, a subsidiary of Impact Solar Group, to provide Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) and controls technology to a “smart industrial park” project in Thailand, which is a part of the country’s largest private microgrid at Saha Industrial Park in Sriracha.

Once commissioned, the park will have a total generation capacity of 214 MW from a combination of co-generation gas turbines, rooftop solar, floating solar, and battery energy storage systems.

The advanced microgrid is digitally-enabled to integrate the electricity produced from distributed energy resources (DERs), including solar, and simulates a utility scale power system. Using real-time automation information, the microgrid will manage and optimise the power output of DERs from across the entire industrial park. The microgrid also balances energy fluctuations resulting from the intermittent availability of sunshine and will provide back-up power to the park’s data centre and other tenants who rely on grid stability for their businesses.

This project builds on Hitachi ABB Power Grids’ global Grid Edge Solutions footprint of more than 500 MW and 200 references. The business’ technology has enabled customers to create economic, social and environmental value by unlocking new revenue streams, maximizing renewable integration, and lowering carbon emissions.

In November last year, Hitachi ABB Power Grids India, Ashok Leyland and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) announced a partnership to run an electric bus (e-bus) pilot to support sustainable in-campus commuting by IIT-M’s students and staff.