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PG 37
NEWS APPLE POWERS AHEAD IN NEW RENEWABLE ENERGY SOLUTIONS WITH OVER 110 SUPPLIERS Apple has announced that over 110 of its manufacturing partners around the world are moving to 100 percent renewable energy for their Apple production, with nearly 8 gigawatts of planned clean energy set to come online. Once completed, these commitments will avoid over 15million metric tons of CO2e annually — the equivalent of taking more than 3.4 million cars off the road each year. Additionally, Apple is investing directly in renewable energy projects to cover a portion of upstream emissions, as well as a major energy storage project in California to pilot new solutions for renewable infrastructure.
ENERGY STORAGE PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS WÄRTSILÄ’S TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES The technology group Wärtsilä has again demonstrated its capabilities in advanced energy storage solutions with the award of a contract to supply an engineered equipment delivery (EEQ) of a 40 MW / 80 MWh DC-coupled solar plus storage system to the Hickory Park Solar project in Georgia, USA. The owner of the project is RWE Renewables, one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies. The Wärtsilä system will enable a subsidiary of RWE Renewables, Hickory Park Solar, LLC, to sell nearly 200 MW of generation from the solar PV panels to Georgia Power Company. The order was booked by Wärtsilä in Q4 2020. Wärtsilä’s sophisticated GEMS Digital Energy Platform will control the entire hybrid plant, comprising close to 200 MW solar PV and a 80 MWh GridSolv Quantum energy storage system. GEMS monitors, synchronises, and optimises generation assets at increments of 100 milliseconds, using machine learning and historic and real-time data analytics to calibrate the type of generation needed at any specific time, all under a single portfolio.
FLUENCE, SIEMENS AND LITGRID PARTNER ON BALTICS’ FIRST STORAGE AS TRANSMISSION PILOT PROJECT Fluence, the leading global energy storage technology, software and services provider, Siemens AG and Litgrid, Lithuania’s transmission system operator (TSO), have announced the first pilot project in the Baltics to use battery energy storage on the transmission network. The 1 MW pilot near Vilnius will serve as a proof-ofconcept for much larger planned projects in Lithuania as the country pursues a synchronous interconnection with the Continental Europe electric grid and a transition to clean energy. With “virtual transmission lines” (VTL), energy storage is placed along a transmission line and operated to inject or absorb real and reactive power, mimicking transmission line flows. Storage deployed this way can also provide numerous other critical network services, including grid-forming capabilities, virtual inertia for local grid stability, black start capability, power oscillation damping and voltage control mode. These capabilities are an important step toward the next level of grid protection and resiliency, enabling the use of energy storage systems to mitigate different types of potential events affecting grid reliability and stability.
APR-MAY ISSUE 2021 | PG 05
NEOVOLTA’S NEW PATENT-PENDING TECHNOLOGY PROVIDES AN ADDITIONAL POWER OPTION DURING GRID OUTAGES NeoVolta Inc., manufacturer of Smart Energy Storage Solutions, has developed a patent-pending technology for converting a backup generator’s 240-volt Alternating Current (AC) power output to Direct Current (DC). This device gives NeoVolta customers an additional generator option, further extending the charge of the NV14 storage battery during a grid outage. The unit does not require any special modifications, making it a very
simple and inexpensive option compared to the cost of “stacking” additional storage batteries. The technology capitalizes on NeoVolta’s ability to integrate with any residential backup generator and its compatibility with either AC or DC solar panels. Because most customers have AC solar, the DC solar input would typically go unused. With this device, an AC generator can be connected to the DC solar input.
PLUS POWER RECEIVES APPROVAL FOR BATTERY STORAGE PROJECT IN HAWAII
WOOD MACKENZIE: AMERICAS TO LEAD GLOBAL ENERGY STORAGE MARKET BY 2025 According to new research from Wood Mackenzie, the Americas region will overtake Asia Pacific by 2025 to lead the global storage market, with a total capacity of 371 GWh in 2030. Most of this growth will come from the US. China will place second (150 GWh), while Japan will sit third (25 GWh) by the end of the decade. The US tripled storage installations in 2020, accounting for 38% of new capacity. China, Germany, and the UK saw double-digit growth during the pandemic, while Australia’s installations fell in year-on-year numbers. Steady growth in a number of key countries during the coronavirus pandemic and strong recovery in 2021 will accelerate global energy storage adoption in the long term, says Wood Mackenzie. The Wood Mackenzie report also outlines expected changes in another key storage market: Europe. So far, Europe’s market development has been slower than its US and Chinese counterparts. However, this development will accelerate in the coming years as European member states are required to comply with the Renewable Energy Directive, current overcapacities in electricity markets are reduced with nuclear, and coal exits take place. According to Wood Mackenzie, Europe will deploy approximately 3 GWh of energy storage capacity in 2021, a 55% increase on 2020, and will see cumulative capacity hit 9 GWh by the end of the year.
Regulator Hawaiin Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has approved a largescale standalone battery storage project in the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Though it has been approved with a lot of conditions attached. The storage project will be designed to help overcome energy reliability and supply concerns as a coal power plant retires. This power purchase agreement (PPA) was signed in September 2020 by the state’s main utility, Hawaiian Electric, for energy dispatched from Kapolei Energy Storage I, a 185MW / 565MWh battery facility under development by Plus Power. This project is Plus Power’s one of 16 solar-plus-storage and standalone storage projects proposals awarded contracts by Hawaiian Electric in a competitive solicitation process that went on considerably longer than anticipated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The utility contracted for a total of 460MW of solar and 3GWh of energy storage across the state’s main islands. This particular battery project is scheduled to go online at an Oahu substation by June 2022. There are four other large-scale solar-plus-storage projects on the island which have estimated commissioning dates between September of next year and August 2023.
APR-MAY ISSUE 2021 | PG 06
BATTERY STORAGE SOLUTIONS BROUGHT TO US BY CARBON NEUTRAL ENERGY T h e A E S C o r p o r a t i o n a n n o u n c e d t h a t i t h a s s i g n e d a n a g r e e m e n t t o s u p p l y t h e e l e c t ric it y t o p o w e r G o o g l e ’s V irg in ia b a s e d d a t a c e n t e r s w i t h 2 4 / 7 c a r b o n - f r e e e n e r g y u n d e r a 1 0 - y e a r s u p p l y c o n t ra c t . W it h t h is f irs t c l e a n e n e rg y p r o c u r e m e n t d e a l i n t h e w o r l d o f i t s k i n d , A E S w i l l h e l p e n s u r e t h a t t h e e n e r g y p o w e rin g t h o s e d a t a c e n t e rs w il l b e 9 0 % c a r b o n - f r e e w h e n m e a s u r e d o n a n h o u r l y b a s i s . A E S w i l l b e c o m e t h e s o l e s u p p l i e r o f t h e d a t a c e n t e rs ’ c a rb o n - f re e e n e rg y n e e d s o n a n a n n u a l b a s i s , s o u r c i n g e n e r g y f r o m a p o r t f o l i o o f w i n d , s o l a r , h y d r o a n d b a t t e ry s t o ra g e re s o u rc e s t o b e d e v e l o p e d o r c o n t r a c t e d b y A E S . T h e a g r e e m e n t w i l l s t a r t s u p p l y l a t e r i n 2 0 2 1 a n d is a n im p o rt a n t s t e p in m e e t in g G o o g l e ’ s p r e v i o u s l y a n n o u n c e d g o a l t o r u n i t s b u s i n e s s o n 1 0 0 % c a r b o n - f r e e e n e r g y o n a n h o u rl y b a s is b y 2 0 3 0 . T h is s u p p l y a g r e e m e n t f o l l o w s t h e s t r a t e g i c a l l i a n c e A E S a n d G o o g l e f o r m e d i n N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 9 t o l e v e ra g e G o o g l e C l o u d t e c h n o l o g y t o a c c e l e r a t e i n n o v a t i o n i n e n e r g y d i s t r i b u t i o n a n d m a n a g e m e n t a n d a d v a n c e t h e a d o p t io n o f c l e a n e n e rg y . A E S i s p i o n e e r i n g g r e e n e r , s m a r t e r e n e r g y i n n o v a t i o n s , w i t h t h e g o a l o f e x p a n d i n g t h e s e rv ic e s a v a il a b l e t o l a rg e - s c a l e corporate customers.
ENERGY STORAGE PROVIDER LS POWER ACQUIRES GI ENERGY, LAUNCHES REBRANDED COMPANY AS ENDURANT ENERGY
AES ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT TO SUPPLY CARBON-FREE ENERGY FOR GOOGLE DATA CENTERS IN VIRGINIA USING RENEWABLE ENERGY AND BATTERY STORAGE RESOURCES The AES Corporation announced that it has signed an agreement to supply the electricity to power Google’s Virginia-based data centers with 24/7 carbon-free energy under a 10-year supply contract. With this first clean energy procurement deal in the world of its kind, AES will help ensure that the energy powering those data centers will be 90% carbon-free when measured on an hourly basis.
AES will become the sole supplier of the data centers’ carbon-free energy needs on an annual basis, sourcing energy from a portfolio of wind, solar, hydro and battery storage resources to be developed or contracted by AES. The agreement will start supply later in 2021 and is an important step in meeting Google’s previously announced goal to run its business on 100% carbonfree energy on an hourly basis by 2030. This supply agreement follows the strategic alliance AES and Google formed in November 2019 to leverage Google Cloud technology to accelerate innovation in energy distribution and management and advance the adoption of clean energy. AES is pioneering greener, smarter energy innovations, with the goal of expanding the services available to large-scale corporate customers.
LS Power, a U.S. power and energy infrastructure owner, announced the completed acquisition of distributed energy infrastructure solutions provider GI Energy, which will henceforth be rebranded as “Endurant Energy” (Endurant). LS Power’s ownership support and rebranding efforts position Endurant for accelerated growth as a marketleading distributed energy solutions developer, owner, and operator. Endurant has been at the forefront of innovative and sustainable energy solutions, having designed and built marquee distributed clean energy projects across the country. These include its New York City portfolio of battery energy storage systems for Con Edison as part of New York State’s Reforming the Energy Vision initiative; the first fuel cell microgrid system in Connecticut; and Walgreens’ first net-zero carbon store, in Evanston, Illinois. In addition, Endurant is advancing a development portfolio of groundbreaking eco-district projects in California.
APR-MAY ISSUE 2021 | PG 07
FLUENCE SIGNS 1.5 GW OF NEW CONTRACTS TO OPTIMIZE TRADING OF RENEWABLE & ENERGY STORAGE ASSETS IN AUSTRALIA Fluence, a leading provider of energy storage technology, services and bidding optimization software, announced that it has secured approximately 1.5 GW of new wind, solar and battery energy storage contracts for its AI-powered Trading Platform in Australia in just seven months since it acquired AMS. The new contracts, with customers including Spark Renewables (part of the Spark Infrastructure Group) and BJCE, bring the total number of assets using the algorithmic trading and bidding optimization platform to over 3.4 GW (contracted or deployed). This includes operating assets representing roughly 18% of all grid-scale wind and solar capacity in the Australian National Electricity Market (NEM) as well as one of the largest batterybased energy storage assets in the world in California.The Fluence Trading Platform analyzes thousands of variables to provide leading price forecasting and optimization using proprietary machine learning algorithms. The resulting marketcompliant bids can increase revenue for wind and solar asset owners by up to 10% over a 12-month period.
ENEL GREEN POWER NORTH AMERICA BEGINS CONSTRUCTION OF 1.5 GW OF NEW RENEWABLES + 319 MW OF STORAGE CAPACITY IN THE US
BATTERY STORAGE SOLUTIONS BROUGHT TO US BY CARBON NEUTRAL ENERGY Enel, through its US renewable subsidiary Enel Green Power North America, has started construction on five new renewable energy projects in the US including Roseland solar + storage, Blue Jay solar + storage, Ranchland wind + storage, Alta Farms wind project and Rockhaven wind project. In addition, Enel will add 57 MW battery storage systems to two operational projects in Texas, the High Lonesome wind farm and Roadrunner solar farm. The new wind, solar and hybrid projects announced, located in Texas, Illinois and Oklahoma represent over 1.5 GW of new capacity and 319 MW of battery storage capacity. The five new projects under construction will generate over 4.1 TWh of renewable electricity per year, equivalent to avoiding 2.5 million tons of CO2 emissions, and enough to power over 525,000 U.S. households annually. Over their lifetime, the five new projects are expected to generate around 450 million US dollars in tax revenue for local communities and new income for project landowners. Construction of the projects will be responsible for over 1,500 construction jobs. With these projects, Enel Green Power North America currently has over 2.3 GW of renewable generation under construction and by mid-year will have 606 MW of battery storage capacity under construction.
The hybrid power solutions company is fast-tracking its overseas expansion due to the huge demand for mobile energy storage systems which could prevent emergencies like the loss of power in Texas earlier this year. CNE has developed a revolutionary energy storage solution that meets the growing challenge of storing and using electricity produced from renewable sources. Using a range of mobile, modular energy storage systems with large capacity battery storage, CNE aims to increase green electrification and reduce carbon emissions, accelerating the world’s net-zero ambition. Their energy storage systems can store and deliver significant green power capacity to address inadequacy in power infrastructure.
APR-MAY ISSUE 2021 | PG 08
THAILAND BOOSTS RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES WITH HITACHI ABB POWER GRIDS’ ADVANCED BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SOLUTION Hitachi ABB Power Grids Ltd. has been selected by Impact Solar Limited, a subsidiary of Impact Solar Group, to deploy the e-meshTM PowerStoreTM battery energy storage solution (BESS) and control system as part of Thailand’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 center and other tenants who rely on grid stability for their businesses.
HIGHVIEW POWER AND MAN ENERGY SOLUTIONS PARTNER ON WORLD’S LARGEST LIQUID-AIR ENERGYSTORAGE (LAES) PROJECT Highview Power, a global leader in long duration energy storage solutions, has selected MAN Energy Solutions to provide its LAES turbomachinery solution to Highview Power for its CRYOBattery™ facility, a 50 MW liquid-air, energy-storage facility – with a minimum of 250MWh – located in Carrington Village, Greater Manchester (UK). The liquid air energy storage plant uses cryogenically-liquefied air as a medium for storing energy. It is especially suitable for special applications that require large amounts of energy over a discharge time of several hours, and enables fluctuating, renewable sources to bear base-loads. The MAN turbomachinery train will form the core of the CRYOBattery facility that, upon completion, will form one of Europe’s largest battery-storage systems. This will ultimately supply clean, reliable, and cost-efficient long-duration energy storage – primarily from renewable sources.
FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND DTE ENERGY PARTNER ON NEW ROOFTOP SOLAR INSTALLATION AND BATTERY STORAGE TECHNOLOGY DTE Energy announced that it has commissioned a new solar array at the Ford Research & Engineering Center in Dearborn, Michigan. The 2,159-panel array is located on the rooftop level of the Deck 400 parking structure. The array includes an integrated battery storage system and will be used to power newly installed electric vehicle (EV) chargers. The solar array can generate 1,127 megawatt hours of clean energy, which has the environmental benefit equal to the carbon sequestered by nearly 980 acres of U.S. forests in one year. The new solar array is just one of several steps both companies are taking to reduce carbon emissions. In 2019, Ford became the first corporate customer to enroll in DTE’s MIGreenPower voluntary renewable energy program. Through the program, Ford is purchasing 525,000 megawatt hours annually of Michigan wind energy from DTE’s Isabella and Fairbanks wind parks.
APR-MAY ISSUE 2021 | PG 09
RENEWABLE ENERGY COMPANY (RES) GETS APPROVAL FOR NORTH YORKSHIRE ENERGY STORAGE PROJECT Renewable energy company RES has been given the go-ahead to build a new energy storage project in North Yorkshire, bringing its total energy storage portfolio in UK&I to 420MW. The 99.9MW Lakeside Energy Storage project will be located in the Selby district of North Yorkshire and will be a key enabler to help use more renewable energy to power the UK. The utility-grade batteries will store electricity from the national grid at times of low demand and high renewables generation, with the stored energy exported back to the grid at times of high demand and lower renewable electricity generation. Once completed, Lakeside will become the largest energy storage project within RES’ 420MW portfolio. Alone it offers the potential to store enough energy to supply the daily power needs of over 20,000 homes
ENERGY STORAGE SOLUTIONS COMPANY ESS INC. TO BECOME A PUBLICLY LISTED COMPANY THROUGH MERGER WITH ACON S2 ACQUISITION CORP. ESS Tech, Inc. (“ESS Inc.”, “ESS” or the “Company”), a manufacturer of long-duration iron flow batteries for commercial and utility scale energy storage applications, and ACON S2 Acquisition Corp., a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company, announced they have entered into a definitive agreement for a business combination that will result in ESS becoming a publicly listed company. ESS was founded in 2011 with a mission to develop the cleanest, lowest-cost longduration 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, longduration 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 costeffective energy storage systems.
POWERCOR PROPOSES FASTER, SIMPLER RENEWABLE ENERGY CONNECTIONS WITH 1.1GW OF STORAGE CAPACITY The proposal seeks to unlock 1.3GW or capacity on the existing network and improve reliability for customers through a series of network upgrades over two stages, including: Synchronous condensers spread out across the network to deliver system strength that supports new large-scale renewable connections to both the transmission and distribution networks; and Upgrading key parts of the 66kV network to enable a greater number of large solar and wind projects to connect to the existing network within the Geelong, Shepparton, Terang, Ballarat and Bendigo regions. Grid-scale batteries installed across up to 20 existing network sites in central, western and northern Victoria, delivering as much as 1.1GW of storage capacity to release transmission constraints while also providing local community benefits. The proposal complements the Victorian Government’s recent announcement of a 45-50% emissions reduction target by 2050, with a faster transition to renewable electricity generation a key driver.
APR-MAY ISSUE 2021 | PG 10
NHEC AND ENGIE COMPLETE UTILITY SCALE BATTERY STORAGE PROJECT
AMARA RAJA BATTERIES RESTARTS PRODUCTION POST HC NOD
New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) announced the completion of its first utility scale energy storage project. The 2.45 megawatt (MW) battery project was developed in partnership with ENGIE North America (ENGIE), a leading provider of energy storage services. ENGIE will own and operate the battery unit, which is located on the site of NHEC’s 2 MW solar array in Moultonborough, NH. As part of the innovative partnership agreement with ENGIE, NHEC will discharge the battery to supply energy to its members up to 70 times per year. These discharges will be used to reduce NHEC’s transmission charges and regional capacity payments. The battery project will provide NHEC with insight and direct experience into how battery storage technologies respond to price signals and interact with its electrical system. NHEC estimates these discharges will save its members $2.3 million over the next 12 years.
Amara Raja Batteries (ARBL) has again started production at its manufacturing facilities located at Andhra Pradesh. This was done immediately after receiving High Court orders that suspended the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) orders to close its plants. APPCB had ordered the company to shut its plants at Nunegundlapalli and Karkambadi at Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. Post the shutdown, the company was under investor’s focus. Being the second largest battery maker in India, Amara Raja’s batteries and power units cater to critical sectors like hospitals, defence and telecom. The company recently started an “Advanced Lithium Technology Research Hub” with pilot plant facility for cell development and is setting up a 50MW solar power plant in Andhra Pradesh with an outlay of Rs 220 crore. It has also developed a broad range of battery packs for electric mobility and energy storage applications and already secured approvals from some OEMs and fleet operators for commercial supplies. It also will set up a greenfield lead recycling unit with a capacity of one lakh tonne.
VCIB FINANCES STEM INC’S BEHIND THE METER ENERGY STORAGE IN ONTARIO, CANADA Vancity Community Investment Bank (VCIB), Canada’s first values-driven bank, has announced financing the first tranche of Ontario-based commercial energy storage projects in a portfolio owned and operated by Stem, Inc. (“Stem”), a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI)-driven clean energy storage services. Behind the meter energy storage, an on-site solution to store electricity capacity for use when needed, allows customers to manage costs and reduce emissions. These projects will support several Ontario-based manufacturing and industrial facilities in cutting electricity costs by lowering energy demand at peak times. Stem will also provide additional services directly to the electric grid operator, leading to overall more efficient utilization of energy storage systems.
APR-MAY ISSUE 2021 | PG 11
TEP’S LARGEST SOLAR PLUS STORAGE SYSTEM IS NOW IN SERVICE
ØRSTED COMPLETES FIRST UTILITY-SCALE SOLAR PLUS BATTERY STORAGE PROJECT Ørsted has completed its Permian Energy Center project, a 460 MWAC hybrid solar and battery storage facility located in Andrews County, Texas. Permian Energy Center brings Ørsted’s onshore operating capacity to 2.1 GW. The project and its 420 MWAC of solar PV and 40 MWAC of battery storage will be located on a 3,600-acre site alongside existing oil and gas installations and will supply growing West Texas demand for electricity. The project’s 1.3 million solar panels will generate enough clean energy to power more than 80,000 US households.
With Tucson’s newest and largest solar power system now online, Tucson Electric Power (TEP) can deliver more solar energy than ever before – including when the sun isn’t shining. The new Wilmot Energy Center (WEC), located on 1,130 acres southeast of Tucson International Airport, includes a 100megawatt (MW) solar array and 30MW battery energy storage system – each the largest of their kind on TEP’s local energy grid. TEP will purchase power from the WEC under a long-term agreement with an affiliate of NextEra Energy Resources, its owner and operator. The batteries will be charged by 314,000 solar panels that can track the movement of the sun for increased production. On most days, TEP will charge the battery in the morning and early afternoon when solar resources are most productive, then deliver stored energy during peak usage periods. The WEC will produce enough energy will produce enough energy over
the course of a year to serve the annual electric needs of about 26,000 homes.
AMPT ACHIEVES MILESTONE OF 5GWH OF DC-COUPLED ENERGY STORAGE Ampt, the world’s #1 DC optimizer company for large-scale photovoltaic (PV) systems, announced a company milestone of 5 GWh of DC-coupled energy storage projects. This milestone establishes Ampt as a key technology provider for PV+storage systems. Ampt String Optimizers are DC/DC converters that lower costs, increase performance, and improve grid response of DC-coupled energy storage systems. Tier-one PV power plant developers and owners are deploying Ampt products in mission critical applications including peak shifting and peaker plant replacement, renewable energy firming, and grid support. Projects with Ampt range from 20 to 200 MW of PV solar coupled with up to 6 hours of battery energy storage.
DTEK LAUNCHES THE FIRST INDUSTRIAL ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM OF UKRAINE DTEK has officially launched Ukraine’s first industrial lithium-ion, installed at the Zaporizhzhya Power Plant in the city of Energodar, with a capacity of 1 MW/2.25 MWh energy storage system (ESS). The battery will store and dispatch electricity to the grid, as well as maintain the functioning of Ukraine’s power system. With this pilot project, DTEK intends to establish a key role for the use of energy storage systems in various segments of the country’s energy market, as well as drive the decarbonisation of Eastern Europe in support of the EU Green Deal. According to DTEK CEO Maxim Timchenko, by implementing new technologies, the company is transforming its business and building a new energy sector. DTEK will soon certify the system to obtain the status of ‘reserve capacity service provider’ for the system operator. It was earlier reported that DTEK signed a contract with the American company Honeywell for the supply of an energy storage system in July 2020.
APR-MAY ISSUE 2021 | PG 12
HIGHVIEW POWER DEVELOPING LIQUID AIR LONG DURATION ENERGY STORAGE PROJECTS OF 2 GWH IN SPAIN Highview Power, a global leader in long duration energy storage solutions, announced it is developing up to 2 GWh of long duration, liquid air energy storage projects across Spain for an estimated investment of around $1 billion. These projects will enable several Spanish regions to move towards their net zero emissions target. Alongside development partners and a consortium of investors, which include TSK, one of the largest engineering companies in Europe, and the Center for Energy, Environmental and Technological Research (CIEMAT), High view
GRAVITRICITY REVEALS PLANS TO ADD HYDROGEN TO ENERGY STORAGE MIX Energy storage specialists Gravitricity have revealed plans to add hydrogen and heat storage to their underground gravity energy system. The Edinburgh innovators have submitted a global patent to turn purposebuilt shafts into pressurised energy stores, capable of safely accumulating significant quantities of the gas. Company founder Martin Wright said - “The future hydrogen economy will need to find economic and safe ways to store hydrogen where it’s needed. At present our domestic gas network has vast amounts of storage built in – under the North Sea. The gas grid of the future will be powered by intermittent renewables – and that means we need to find ways to store green hydrogen when energy is plentiful, close to where it’s required. Our idea is to make each Gravitricity shaft serve as a very large, sealed pressure vessel, and to use the shaft itself to hold significant quantities of gas. We believe this will be far more economic and safer than above-ground storage pressure vessels – and will massively increase the storage capacity of the system.”
Power is planning to develop up to seven CRYOBattery™ projects ranging from 50 MW/300 MWh in Asturias, Cantabria, Castilla y Leon, and the Canary Islands. Highview Power’s technology, known as the CRYOBattery™, uses liquid air as the storage medium and delivers critical grid stability services, like synchronous inertia, short circuit and dynamic voltage control. CRYOBattery™ plants are equivalent in performance to fossil-fuel powered thermal and nuclear baseload power when paired with renewables.
EDIFY AND SHELL ENERGY ENTER INTO LONG-TERM SERVICES AGREEMENT FOR A NEW LARGE BATTERY IN NSW, AUSTRALIA In a move that will help support and secure the future of renewable generation in South West NSW, an innovative new project is being developed by Edify. Located in the Murrumbidgee Shire, the Riverina Energy Storage System (RESS) is to be a 100MW / 200MWh lithium-ion battery that will connect into TransGrid’s network at the Darlington Point Substation. RESS will serve to add more flexible dispatchable capacity to the NSW market and will complement the significant presence of renewable generation in the region. Building on Edify’s success developing, contracting and financing the Gannawarra Energy Storage System, RESS is being developed to meet the requirements of Shell Energy and the NSW Government, with Shell Energy signing a longterm services agreement to access operational rights to a 60MW / 120MWh partition of the battery. This agreement is a key component of Shell Energy’s success in securing a long-term retail contract with the NSW Government as part of its Whole of Government process.
APR-MAY ISSUE 2021 | PG 13
HYDROSTOR DEVELOPING UP TO 10GWH OF LONG DURATION ENERGY STORAGE IN CALIFORNIA Hydrostor, a long duration energy storage solution provider, announced the development of 1,000 MW of long duration energy storage in the state. The California Public Utilities Commission has identified a need for up to 1,600 MW of long duration energy storage by 2026. Long duration energy storage is critical to achieving California’s decarbonization and renewable goals. Hydrostor’s patented and commercially proven A-CAES technology provides 8-12+ hours of energy storage, versus the 1-4 hours that current battery technologies can feasibly provide. This long duration energy storage is essential for establishing the pathway to California’s decarbonized electricity grid. A-CAES also has a longer lifespan, of more than 50 years, with zero degradation and a lower environmental impact than conventional alternatives available today.
SANDIA APP ASSESSES VALUE OF ENERGY STORAGE FOR BUSINESSES, UTILITIES Utility companies and corporate project developers now have help assessing how much money adding an energy storage system will save them thanks to new Sandia National Laboratories software. The software, called Quest, can also be used by energy researchers to evaluate different energy storage scenarios and model the potential of new solutions. Energy storage systems are important for capturing energy when it is produced and saving it for when it is needed. Many renewable energy sources, such as solar panels and wind turbines, don’t produce electricity all day, every day. Energy storage systems, including lithium-ion-battery-based designs and pumped-storage hydropower, can increase the stability, reliability and resiliency of the power grid.
POWER FACTORS EXTENDS DRIVE ASSET PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT PLATFORM TO SUPPORT UTILITY-SCALE ENERGY STORAGE Power Factors, LLC, the global leader in renewable energy asset performance management and enterprise asset management software, recently released support for the emerging class of utility-scale battery energy storage system assets in its Drive platform, empowering owners and operators to manage all their clean energy assets, including storage of all sizes, from a single unified platform. Power Factors’ battery energy storage system (BESS) offering introduces new functionality that enables asset owners and operators to manage state-of-health performance against warranties, view state-of-charge analytics, and track battery cycles. Native integration with Power Factors’ enterprise asset management system provides an end-to-end solution for managing all energy storage operations, maintenance, and asset management tasks. Future releases for BESS in the Drive platform include advanced analytics, digital twin virtual models, and dispatch schedule optimization tools.
BATTERY ANALYTICS COMPANY TWAICE RAISES $26 MILLION IN SERIES B FUNDING TWAICE, a battery analytics software company that enhances transparency and predictability of batteries, announced it has raised $26 million in Series B funding. Led by global alternative investment manager, Energize Ventures, the heavily oversubscribed round received follow-on participation from the existing investors Creandum, Cherry Ventures, UVC Partners, and Speedinvest, bringing TWAICE’s total financing to $45 million. The funds will be used to expand the analytics platform and fuel international expansion. With announcements of all-electric line-ups from automotive manufacturers globally, demand is soaring for highperforming battery technologies. TWAICE’s analytics platform accelerates development and increases the profit of batteries while reducing risk for manufacturers and users.
APR-MAY ISSUE 2021 | PG 14
ENERGY DOME BUILDING A 2.5MW/4MWH FIRST OF A KIND ENERGY STORAGE FACILITY IN ITALY The plant, with a size of 2.5MWe and 4MWh, will be designed allowing for future storage expansion bringing it to 8MWh and above. The Demo Plant will use the same component parts as the full-scale commercial system of 25MW and 100MWh or 200MWh, effectively proving the readiness of this technology for the market. This demonstration project is meant to be operated commercially and generate revenue by operating on the energy and ancillary services markets. Energy Dome technology provides outstanding performance, achieving a highly competitive Round Trip Efficiency (RTE) and Levelized Cost Of Storage (LCOS) for storage durations from 3 to 16+ hours, with little or no degradation over time. Energy Dome will deploy the Demonstration Plant, by pioneering an innovative alternative to batteries for utility scale energy storage. Energy Dome’s technology is based on a completely new process which has been engineered and designed to use only existing and proven equipment. The team rose to the challenge to develop a solution that would not only be technologically and economically feasible now, but would also overcome the inherent limitations of Lithium Ion.
AALBORG CSP RECEIVES CERTIFICATE FOR THERMAL STORAGE TECHNOLOGY Aalborg CSP has just received the certificate for its PTES technology, a Technology Qualification Certificate which proves that the PTES technology and unique lid solution fulfills the requirements for design and functionality. Among other things this include a minimum lifetime of 25 years, a minimum energy loss and an availability factor of 100% without risk of stoppages. Moreover, a minimum 90% of all materials used in a PTES are recyclable. Throughout the past years, low-temperature heat storage investments have been made to, among other things, further develop, optimize, and commercialize the complete PTES technology including the insulating lid cover. The latest achievements in improving the insulated PTES lid cover have further matured the PTES technology making it a bankable investment for utility companies worldwide.
POWER FACTORS RELEASES SUPPORT FOR EMERGING CLASS OF UTILITY-SCALE BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM IN ITS DRIVE PLATFORM Power Factors, LLC, the global leader in renewable energy asset performance management and enterprise asset management software, recently released support for the emerging class of utility-scale battery energy storage system assets in its Drive platform, empowering owners and operators to manage all their clean energy assets, including storage of all sizes, from a single unified platform. Power Factors’ battery energy storage system (BESS) offering introduces new functionality that enables asset owners and operators to manage state-of-health performance against warranties, view state-of-charge analytics, and track battery cycles. Native integration with Power Factors’ enterprise asset management system provides an end-to-end solution for managing all energy storage operations, maintenance, and asset management tasks. Future releases for BESS in the Drive platform include advanced analytics, digital twin virtual models, and dispatch schedule optimization tools.
GRID-SCALE U.S. STORAGE CAPACITY COULD GROW FIVE-FOLD BY 2050: REPORT In the latest report from the Storage Futures Study (SFS), Economic Potential of Diurnal Storage in the U.S. Power Sector, NREL analysts Will Frazier, Wesley Cole, Paul Denholm, Scott Machen, and Nate Blair, describe significant market potential for utility-scale diurnal storage (up to 12 hours) in the U.S. power system through 2050. They found storage adds the most value to the grid and deployment increases when the power system allows storage to simultaneously provide multiple grid services and when there is greater solar photovoltaic (PV) penetration. The SFS—led by NREL and supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Energy Storage Grand Challenge—is a multiyear research project to explore how advancing energy storage technologies could impact the deployment of utility-scale storage and adoption of distributed storage, including impacts to future power system infrastructure investment and operations.
APR-MAY ISSUE 2021 | PG 15
CERC ISSUES NOTIFICATION FOR ANCILLARY SERVICES MARKET REGULATIONS ALLOWING ENERGY STORAGE
WÄRTSILÄ FINALISES COMMISSIONING OF ITS FIRST TWO ENERGY STORAGE PROJECTS IN THE PHILIPPINES The technology group Wärtsilä has signed multiple energy storage contracts with SMC Global Power Holdings Inc. through its subsidiary, Universal Power Solutions Inc., in the Philippines during 2019-2020. The first two projects, Integrated Renewable Power Hub-Toledo and BCCPP, Limay, Bataan, have achieved final commissioning in May. The projects have a capacity of 20 MW / 20 MWh and 40 MW / 40MWh respectively, and are part of the earlier announced energy storage orders. These are the first energy storage systems supplied by Wärtsilä to the Philippines. The projects are delivered on an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) basis, and include Wärtsilä’s proprietary software and hardware solutions. The systems comprise the company’s GridSolv Max system, a standardised energy storage solution that provides flexible and modular storage for the core hardware assets of the systems, including the batteries, a safety and fire system, and inverters, alongside the advanced GEMS Digital Energy Platform.
Central Electricity Regulatory Commission has issued a notification drafting ancillary services market regulations allowing for energy storage and demand response resources to participate. The notification issued explained the necessity of providing a regulatory mechanism for ancillary services “in the interest of reliability, safety and security of the grid”. Energy storage and demand response, which are digitally controllable and dispatchable energy and power resources, can respond rapidly and accurately to the need to maintain grid frequency within close boundaries of the 50Hz at which it operates. Recognising this aspect, Primary Reserve, Secondary Reserve and Tertiary Reserve ancillary services will be created, as well as others that are within the scope of the Grid Code. Comments and suggestions on the draft regulation from stakeholders and interested parties have been invited by CERC. The last date to submit them is 30th June 2021
The proposed 150 megawatt (MW) battery energy storage system (BESS) will help support energy system security and reliability. Stanwell acting CEO Adam Aspinall said large-scale energy storage would play an important role in Queensland’s future as higher levels of renewable energy entered the system. Mr Aspinall said Stanwell had recently completed a battery storage feasibility study and was now focussed on completing Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) work with a view to reaching a final investment decision in the second half of 2021. He confirmed that Stanwell has lodged two connection enquiries with Powerlink for a battery facility at each of the Tarong power station and the Stanwell power station sites. He confirmed that Stanwell had been investigating energy storage opportunities since early 2018.
STANWELL TO BUILD BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM IN AUSTRALIA Stanwell is progressing detailed plans for a large-scale standalone battery at Tarong Power Station.
APR-MAY ISSUE 2021 | PG 16
INTERVIEW
Rupam Raja Market Director,
Market Director,
India and SE Asia, Fluence In a chat with EnergyStorage Pro magazine, Mr. Rupam Raja - Market Director, India and SE Asia, Fluence gave us insights on the company’s learnings and contribution to India’s energy storage sector. He also emphasised on the fact that India cannot achieve its ambitious RE target without battery storage. PLEASE TELL US HOW IS THE YEAR 2021 PROGRESSING FOR FLUENCE? ANY PRIME LEARNINGS? 2021 has been a challenging time for business in India. That said, 2021 is also the year when India made a long-term commitment to battery-based energy storage through the ACC PLI scheme. The prime learning this year has been on the importance of flexibility in a grid that has a higher penetration of renewables. This has happened as a result of the drop in overall demand which increased the percentage of RE in India’s energy mix.
HOW IS FLUENCE CONTRIBUTING TO THE INDIAN ENERGY STORAGE SECTOR CURRENTLY? Our biggest contribution has been through supplying the 10 MW BESS at Tata Power Delhi’s substation in Rohini. The project and its proximity to central Delhi has enabled sector players to better understand and get comfortable with megawatt-scale, gridconnected battery storage.
WHAT ARE SOME LATEST AND ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES ADOPTED AT FLUENCE? We launched our 6th generation battery-based energy storage technology, which combines hardware (the Fluence Cube), controls (Fluence OS) and data-driven digital intelligence (Fluence IQ). The latest-generation form factor is more modular, factory-assembled and incorporates the latest safety features, enabling faster, cost-effective deployment with a higher energy density and has a lower lifetime cost of ownership.
ACCORDING TO YOU, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PRESENT TRENDS AND EXPECTED FUTURE TRENDS IN THE ENERGY STORAGE SECTOR IN INDIA? Utilities in India are actively considering purchasing battery-based PPAs for firm power, which we see driving greater penetration of energy storage in India’s energy mix in the future.
IN YOUR VIEW CAN BATTERY STORAGE PROPEL GREEN ENERGY TRANSITION FOR INDIA AND HELP ACHIEVE THE AMBITIOUS RE TARGET? I would flip the question: I would say that India cannot achieve its ambitious RE target without battery storage.
APR-MAY ISSUE 2021 | PG 17
INSIGHTS
POWER OF SYNERGY SOLAR + BATTERY STORAGE The race to renewables is a topic that has gained a lot of importance in recent times. Storing renewable energy is as important as generating it. This combination of storing and generating can unlock a slew of economic, resilience, and sustainability benefits that go beyond what solar can provide on its own. The article takes you by the different aspects of solar-plus storage systems in India.
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WHAT IS SOLAR + STORAGE ? Solar-plus storage systems combine a battery with a new or existing solar system to boost the system's value. Solar alone provides low-cost energy from a sustainable source, but without a battery, its utility at night or on cloudy days is limited. The surplus electricity generated during sunny days can be saved in a battery for future use, in times when the sun is not shining, peak demand costs are high, or the grid is down by the means of combining solar with a storage device.
BENEFITS OF SOLAR + STORAGE You may lower your home's carbon footprint and bring it closer to self-sufficiency by installing solar batteries. Anyone who wants to "become green" and reduce pollution should do so. Solar energy systems emit far less pollution today than traditional fossil fuels, and they can help a home utilize fewer resources in the future. Solar panels and battery storage systems, unlike generators, do not produce noise pollution that will irritate your neighbours. This is a one-of-a-kind benefit, and it is a terrific way for anyone who already owns a generator to upgrade it. One of the most significant advantages of energy storage systems is that they can help you save money on power. You will avoid the expenses connected with electricity suppliers, develop self-sufficiency, and conserve the electricity you generate if you back up your home with a battery system. All of these things are significant perks that the merger of solar and storage brings along.
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES When rooftop solar and storage are combined, India will have a huge opportunity because the combination will soon be economically viable. According to a new report from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, Indian policymakers should plan for rooftop solar-plus storage rather than rooftop solar alone because the combination is increasingly cost-effective for electricity generation when compared to grid supply and diesel generators. Energy storage deployment in India is still not a viable alternative because the rates for a standalone integration of storage technologies into the grid are not competitive. The numerous value stacks that provide storage revenue streams have yet to be seen in India. Large-scale storage deployments will not be possible till then. As solar energy penetration into the Indian grid grows, grid-scale batteries will become increasingly important. Attempts must be made to estimate the future capital costs and encourage largescale solar-plus-storage uptake.
CURRENT PROJECTS IN INDIA While the advantages of this hybrid system are extraordinary, a lot of solar corporations in India have started to realise those benefits and have taken up multiple projects to make the most out of them. For instance, a Solar Energy Corporation of India is to build a 100 MWac solar plant with 50 MW/150 MWh of battery energy storage in the state of Chhattisgarh. There are various such projects which have been recently established and there are many still in the pipeline of various corporations. India, which aims to install 100 GW (gigawatt) of solar capacity by 2030, is also focusing on storage-based projects to address solar PV's power intermittency.
MARKET OUTLOOK AND TRENDS Energy storage that is both efficient and cost-effective, as well as optimal hybridization, are critical for assuring the spread of renewable power generation on both the grid and microgrid scales. India's energy storage market lags well behind that of the United States, Europe, and China. Despite the high demand for energy storage, the lack of a policy framework has stifled the growth of the battery energy storage business. New value streams in grid-balancing, ramping, peak-shifting, and frequency regulating capabilities, according to energy storage companies, must be developed with the correct legislative climate and appropriate government assistance to establish a stronger economic case for batteries. As a result, the penetration of renewable energy in the Indian market will increase dramatically.
CONCLUSION
The market potential for energy-storage devices is growing as solar energy becomes cheaper and more commonly used. The issue is to make storage more economical as well, with lower-cost batteries and better management and integration techniques. Of course, the goal is to ensure that the US electric system can deploy enough electricity to accommodate everyone during peak times at a reasonable cost, ensuring the resiliency of the grid. On the way to realise the renewable energy targets, India aims at deploying enough electricity to accommodate everyone’s needs during peak times at an affordable price while maintaining system dependability.
MAY ISSUE 2021 | PG 19
INSIGHTS HOW DESICCANT DEHUMIDIFIERS PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE IN THE LITHIUM BATTERIES USED FOR
Energy Storage and EV's?
Over the years, a lot has been debated around the development of Electric Vehicles as an alternative to fossil fuel-driven vehicles in India. EVs are considered as the cleantech solution to protect the environment and the best source to focus on sustainable development also. They require less maintenance and emit zero harmful gases into the air. Many existing automobile manufacturers and even newer companies are putting an exceptional effort into Electric Vehicles that provides a green and reliable solution. In India, right from policymakers to manufacturers are keen on improving the EV adoption rate in the market, but at this pace, it will take years for EVs to get mainstream. Several factors such as high capital cost, consumer perception and inadequate charging infrastructure. But the biggest reason is the driving range and efficiency of batteries. Lithium batteries are considered the soul of EVs and have the highest acceptance in the global market, but in India lead-acid batteries still rule the market.
INDIA TOO IS MAKING GREAT STRIDES IN THE ENERGY STORAGE SPACE AND THE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF THE GOVERNMENT HAS FURTHER STRENGTHENED THE INDUSTRY’S DETERMINATION TO STORE RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES."
APR-MAY ISSUE 2021 | PG 20
The performance of an Electric Vehicle has a lot to do with the quality of the battery used in it. Batteries consist of several chemical components such as lithium-ion, iron phosphate, graphene and others, which means you need a stable environment with less than 1% humidity, as these particular chemicals are highly susceptible to moisture. Therefore maintaining the right humidity value is key in battery assembling and manufacturing. Lithium battery production is undertaken in very critical and controlled (Dry Room) environment conditions. Nonmaintenance of the desired RH during lithium cell manufacturing (<1%) and battery assembling (<10%) may lead to severe consequences including reduced quality, bad performance, and increased chances of explosion. Excess humidity can lead to costly quality errors in humidity-sensitive applications. Therefore, the process of controlling environmental conditions is essential for the reduction in quality errors.
Desiccant Dehumidification, or moisture control, has proven itself to be a critical factor in the control of the environment in the Dry Rooms without which lithium battery manufacturing is not feasible. Dry Rooms come equipped with an Environment Control Dehumidification System. These rooms are equipped with moisture control equipment that helps in achieving extremely low dew point [up to (-) 80 °C] control for all the hygroscopic and moisture sensitive material processing. Lithium and alternative battery manufacturers are today the most vulnerable and hence, are driving the high requirement for Dry Rooms in India and desiccant dehumidifiers across the globe.
On the other hand, India too is making great strides in the energy storage space and the active participation of the government has further strengthened the industry’s determination to store renewable energy sources. To conserve the power generated by these renewable sources ‘Lithium’ is a critical element used in the battery technology that underpins much of the world’s consumer electronics, electric vehicles and energy storage systems. As per Lux Research, the total energy storage market is expected to grow to $546 billion in annual revenue by 2035. The report also mentions that key innovative technologies, such as solid-state batteries and flow batteries as they reach commercialization would be the major source of growth. With moisture control being the most critical aspect of li-ion batteries while manufacturing, technology like Green DryPurge® (GDP) has played a key role in Li-Ion battery manufacturing across the world and has helped the manufacturers in creating the required environmental control to make quality, safe and longlasting batteries. The ultra-low dew point GDP dehumidifiers have today been benchmarked for world-class moisture control, are cost-effective and are highly energy-efficient, making them a value proposition for any manufacturer. Suppliers of various desiccant dehumidification products and solutions are playing an active role in India’s EV push and energy storage mission too. Partnering with battery manufacturers/assembler, the role of environmental control solutions offered by local players is instrumental in making reliable and highly efficient lithium batteries in India and across the world.
Deepak Pahwa Chairman, Pahwa Group & Managing Director, Bry-Air
APR-MAY ISSUE 2021 | PG 21
INSIGHTS
ENERGY STORAGE FOR MILITARY APPLICATIONS The Government of India recently approved the ‘National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage’, the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme looking to achieve a manufacturing capacity of 55 GWh of energy storage in India. The long-awaited announcement set off jubilation in the entire sustainability industry. Many commentators rejoiced at the opportunities this could potentially open in electric vehicle adoption, consumer electronics, and the continued greening of the grid. The impetus on research and development to increase energy density and battery cycles was also feted. It is expected that the scheme will lead to import substitution of around INR 20,000 crores each year. The use cases for energy storage or battery systems are relatively well known now. Most people who use smartphones are intimately familiar with battery life
and cycles. There’s also increasing proliferation of other consumer electronics devices. Electric vehicles (EVs), more visible currently on social media, than roads, is another focus area for battery systems. In fact, the government reckons that the ACC program would accelerate adoption of EVs resulting in potential oil bill savings of INR 2-2.5 lakh crores during the program period. Another ubiquitous end use is grid support especially for integration of renewables, islanding capabilities, and maintenance of feeder health apart from offgrid applications including rural and remote area electricity access.
Sidharth Choudhary Assistant Vice President, Invest India
APR-MAY ISSUE 2021 | PG 22
It is reported that several BOPs in Gujarat under the Border Security Force (BSF) and Sikkim under the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) have been provided with solar panels, batteries and associated balance of system.
An interesting subset of electrification which is not getting adequate attention from policy makers as well as practitioners is energy storage for military applications. In recent years, all the armed forces – army, air force and navy, and paramilitary forces under the purview of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) have spoken about integrating renewable energy (and sometimes even storage) in their establishments. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) even allocated funding for 300 MW of solar (grid and off-grid) for the defence sector under the National Solar Mission. As of 31st December 2020, 139 MW projects have been commissioned with an additional 102.95 MW under various stages of implementation. Some notable examples include the two 1 MW solar plants in Siachen to support the army and a technology demonstrator of 15 kW with battery storage at the Kumar Post located at 15,000 feet. A 1.5 MW plant has been established at Leh Air Force Station in Ladakh. Additional 1.5 MW plants with battery storage rated at 0.75 MW/ 2.5 MWh are being developed by the Military Engineer Services in Tangtse and Durbuk. Similarly, the Indian Navy has committed to a comprehensive Indian Navy Environment Conservation Roadmap (INECR) which seeks to promote environment sustainability and energy security. The navy recently unveiled a gridconnected 3 MW plant at Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala in Kerala. The MHA is also looking to electrify Border Outposts (BOPs) manned by different forces (SSB, BSF, ITBP, Assam Rifles) under its purview.
However, a systems approach to these activities is still lacking. Military micro- and mini grids can incorporate renewable energy, energy storage and various types of loads. Suitably ruggedized systems coupled with intelligent controls could ensure greater value capture from renewables, improved operational efficiency including enhanced uptime of mission-critical equipment, and comfort for military personnel. Moreover, it would allow financial savings over the long term by mitigating use of equipment such as diesel gensets and kerosene heaters, and reductions in electricity bills at bases and cantonments. And such systems are not unknown, the Indian Coast Guard has been operating a hybrid microgrid in the Andaman Islands since 2014, consisting of 75 kW solar, 2400 Ah battery, and 2 backup diesel generators. With more than 600 military stations in the country and 2400 BOPs along our frontiers, the opportunity for integrated energy storage applications is tremendous. Energy storage in the military has many benefits including energy security and reliability, upgraded operational readiness, financial savings for modernization, and the overall reduction in the carbon footprint of the forces. Moreover, field testing of multiple storage chemistries and applications in different terrains and conditions will accrue benefits for the civilian market as well. Ultimately, it will help the nation transition to a smart energy paradigm, one outpost at a time.
THE MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY (MNRE) EVEN ALLOCATED FUNDING FOR 300 MW OF SOLAR (GRID AND OFF-GRID) FOR THE DEFENCE SECTOR UNDER THE NATIONAL SOLAR MISSION."
APR-MAY ISSUE 2021 | PG 23
INSIGHTS What Are Some Emerging Opportunities In The
INDIAN STORAGE MARKET? ACCORDING TO THE JMK RESEARCH REPORT, THE CUMULATIVE LIB MARKET IN INDIA IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE FROM 2.9
GWH IN 2018 TO ABOUT 800 GWH BY 2030." Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) will be a crucial component in the transition to clean technologies in the energy and transport sector. According to Global Energy Storage Market 2019, the global energy storage market size is expected to grow from 164 GWh (USD 59 billion) in 2019 to 3,084 GWh by 2035 at a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 20.1%. Due to declining cost and improved performance, Lithium-ion Batteries (LIBs) are emerging as the most promising battery chemistry for automotive and stationary storage applications. According to reports, the annual global demand for LIBs is expected to increase from 230 GWh in 2020 to 1,700 GWh by 2030, where a major share of demand will be from Electric Vehicles (EVs).
increase in the specific energy of LIB cells. The annual LIB market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 37.5%, and the current share of 35% of EVs in the LIB market is expected to increase to 80% market share by 2030. According to the IEA report, the estimated LIB requirement for xEVs by 2030 will be in the range of 1,600 GWh – 3,000 GWh. India’s commitment to the EV30@30 global initiative, which targets a 30% new sales share for EVs by 2030, translates to the addition of about 24 million two-wheelers, 2.9 million three-wheelers, and 5.4 million four-wheelers. To support this transition, the total battery capacity requirement is expected to increase in the range of 2.2 – 2.6 GWh in 2020 to 825 – 1114 GWh by 2030 and 3425 – 4138 GWh by 2035.
India has set the target to increase the share of nonfossil fuel-based electricity generation to 40% in the total energy mix, and the share of EVs to 30% of the total vehicle sale by 2030. To meet the demand for stationary storage and EVs in India, the total energy storage requirement is expected to increase to 2416 GWh by 2032. According to the JMK research report, the cumulative LIB market in India is expected to increase from 2.9 GWh in 2018 to about 800 GWh by 2030.
BESS IN AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATION LIBs have emerged as the most promising battery chemistry for automotive applications, this is mainly due to more than 80% reduction in the battery cost and significant reduction in battery weight due to the
Dr. Parveen Kumar Senior Manager, WRI India
APR-MAY ISSUE 2021 | PG 24
BESS IN STATIONARY APPLICATION For the stationary application, many energy storage technology options are available including batteries, where the selection of technologies will depend upon the trade-off between cost and performance requirement. Among batteries, lead-acid batteries are early BESS used in stationary applications due to their track record of reliability and safety. Now, LIBs have also attracted significant interest as supporting devices in the grid because of their improved performance, life, and lower cost. Globally, the stationary battery market size is projected to grow from 15.2 GWh (USD 9.1 billion) in 2019 to 222.7 GWh (USD 111.8 billion) by 2035 at a CAGR of 18.3%. India has an ambitious Renewable Energy (RE) target of 175 GW by 2022 and 450 GW by 2030. As of February 2021, the cumulative installed RE capacity was 93 GW, which includes 39 GW of solar and 38.8 GW of wind energy. With an increasing share of variable RE, the demand for energy storage is expected to increase to address the issue of intermittency and to improve the plant flexibility, improved grid interconnections, and demand-side management. According to the ISGF report, the total energy storage demand in the stationary storage application will be 138 GWh during 2019-2022, and it is expected to increase to 543 GWh during 2027-2032, with a total capacity of 1002 GWh by 2032. According to the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), India may need 58-108 GWh of BESS for grid-scale stationary storage.
RE-USE OF USED EV BATTERIES Once EV batteries have deteriorated to 70–80% of their initial capacity, they must be replaced because the remaining capacity is inadequate for automotive use; however, these batteries can be repurposed for other applications. The repurposing of used EV batteries could extend the lifespan of batteries for another 7-10 years, and will be an additional source of revenue until they are recycled, and will also contribute to the cost reduction of grid-scale energy storage systems. According to the BNEF report, the global cumulative capacity of the used EV batteries is expected to reach 185.5 GWh/year by 2025, where another study estimates that the total accumulative used EV batteries will be almost 1000 GWh by 2030, which is proportional to the increment of accumulated EV sales. India imported 450 million units of LIBs during 2019-20 for various applications including EVs, which valued around INR 6,600 crore.
RECYCLING OF BATTERIES With the increasing push for the adoption of clean technologies and decreasing battery cost, it is estimated that the demand for batteries will increase 14 times by 2030 compared to 2018, where the EV sector is expected to account for 88% of the total demand. Currently, the global recycling capacity of raw materials is around 1,301 kt per year, which needs to be scaled up to 3,500 kt/year by 2030. To meet the global demand for battery raw materials, it is estimated that 9,300 kt of lithium, 55,000 kt of nickel, and 9,800 kt of cobalt will be required between 2020 and 2050. Here, end-of-life recycling can help to meet the 48% of lithium, 47% of nickel, and 60% of cobalt demand. In India, the LIB recycling market is at the nascent stage, and it is expected to be around 22-23 GWh by 2030, which is USD 1000 million opportunities. It is estimated that the cumulative recycling battery market in India will increase from 0.4 GWh in 2020 to more than 80 GWh by 2030.
SUMMARY In brief, BESS has a particularly important role in the smooth transition to clean technologies. In addition to opportunities in manufacturing, there is huge growth potential in a second-life application and end-of-life recycling market of batteries.
IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THE CUMULATIVE RECYCLING BATTERY MARKET IN INDIA WILL INCREASE FROM 0.4 GWH IN 2020 TO MORE THAN 80 GWH BY 2030."
APR-MAY ISSUE 2021 | PG 25
PERSPECTIVE
HOW IS ENERGY STORAGE A KEY DRIVER FOR GREENING THE GRID? We know that India is well on its path of greening its power sector. The contribution of RE in Indian power sector will only increase in the future. But, challenges pertaining to RE integration are also present and cannot be ignored. Going ahead, the issue of RE integration will aggravate unless the correct measures are taken. And, one of the key mitigation measures
is
development
of
adequate
energy
storage
capacity in India. Other countries namely Australia, Germany, Japan, USA, China have already created a sizable energy storage capacity and therefore, India must not stay behind. As per data made available by the Department of Energy, USA more than 150 GW of energy storage capacity exists in the world, largely based on Pumped Hydro Storage (PSP) technology. Energy storage is thus an established concept with few techno-commercially proven technologies already existing and a host of other technologies at various stages of evolution. The global RE transition has just made the world take a serious look at energy storage technologies with a new vigour. Hence, India also needs to take decisive steps to enable adequate energy storage capacity development in the country.
Dr.Rashi Gupta MD-Vision Mechatronics Pvt Ltd
Energy storage can play a major role in greening the grid by providing an eco-friendly solution for improving operational flexibility of the grid and facilitating integration of renewables. Worldwide efforts are being made for increasing the share of renewable generation in the Grid. India has set targets of around 450GW of renewable generation by 2030. The intermittency and uncertainty of renewable generation affects performance and stability of the grid. A continuous balance between supply and demand needs to be achieved in the grid for maintaining its stability. The continuous advancement in energy storage technology and their falling prices has opened numerous feasible opportunities for reducing the carbon footprint of the grid. Energy Storage is very versatile that a single ESS can perform all the enlisted functions to make the grid greener
APR-MAY ISSUE 2021 | PG 26
BY PLACING ENERGY STORAGE AT STRATEGIC LOCATIONS, TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION UPGRADE DEFERRAL CAN ALSO BE ACHIEVED AS A RESULT OF REDUCING PEAK DEMAND ON THE GRID."
1.
INCREASING SHARE OF RENEWABLE GENERATION
Excess renewable generation during lower demand often cannot be fed back to conventional grid due to its limited flexibility and is often curtailed. Energy storage reduces curtailment of renewable generation by storing the excess generation and supplying it during peak demand. This helps in reducing intermittency of renewable generation and increasing their reliability. Renewable generation being distributed in nature requires energy storage nearby for integrating with conventional grid. Energy storage technologies like Lithium batteries can be installed at almost any location of the world. Such energy storage can be located near renewable generation sources for better integration with the grid without major changes in the existing grid infrastructure.
2. INCREASING RELIABILITY Due to reducing cost of energy storage, it is increasingly replacing conventional diesel generators for backup. This not only reduces consumption of fossil fuels but also increases the capacity of the system for incorporating renewables. During outage it is not possible to feed excess renewable generation to the grid. This generation can be stored for use locally, thereby increasing reliability of local supply.
3. PEAK DEMAND REDUCTION Energy storage is also replacing peaking power plants which are used for supplying peak demands on the grid. Gas and diesel generators have been conventionally used for peak demand reduction. Energy storage can store energy during low demand from renewable generation and supply during peak demand. By placing energy storage at strategic locations, Transmission and Distribution upgrade deferral can also be achieved as a result of reducing peak demand on the grid.
4. ANCILLARY SERVICES Energy storage like Lithium batteries can provide instantaneous high charging and discharging rates. This property of energy storage enables it to manage the disturbances and rapid changes in demand and generation in the grid enabling the Grid operators to use energy storage for various ancillary services like frequency and voltage regulation and maintaining stability of the grid. These services were traditionally obtained using spinning reserves and supplemental reserves. High efficiency energy storage like lithium batteries, are being considered as a greener alternative for providing ancillary services.
5. BLACK START Black start generators are used for starting large power plants after system failure. Energy storage is being considered for providing black start, which was traditionally obtained from fossil fuel generators. Energy storage along with renewables is emerging as a replacement for various services in the grid which were provided by conventional generators, thereby becoming a key driver for greening the grid.
APR-MAY ISSUE 2021 | PG 27
Preetesh Singh Manager, Nomura Research Institute
Prakhar Singh Deputy Senior Consultant, Nomura Research Institute
India has set itself a target of 175 GW renewable energy capacity by 2022. This is in-line with commitments under The Paris Agreement, aimed at reducing global greenhouse gas emissions to limit the ill effects of climate change.
SOURCE: GRID INTEGRATION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY, MINISTRY OF POWER
However, the integration of renewable energy brings various challenges for grid operations. Electricity has been generated and consumed in real time. Conventional fuel sources permit us to increase or decrease the supply to match demand patterns. If the demand pattern shows more consumption in the evening, then the thermal and hydro power plants can operate at a higher load factor. Fine-tuning supply to meet demand is much difficult with renewable energy. Intermittency and variability associated with solar and wind, the predominant sources of renewable energy, is a key concern. The output is dependent on the time and intensity of sun shining and wind blowing.
INDIA HAS SET ITSELF A TARGET OF 175 GW RENEWABLE ENERGY CAPACITY BY 2022."
APR-MAY ISSUE 2021 | PG 28
Further, the time of the day when renewable generation peaks does not correspond to the time of the day when consumption peaks, resulting in supply demand mismatch.
SOURCE: FLEXIBLE OPERATION OF THERMAL POWER PLANT FOR INTEGRATION OF RENEWABLE GENERATION, CENTRAL ELECTRICITY AUTHORITY
Thus, greening the grid presents technical challenges. The Central Electricity Authority has outlined two key challenges, as illustrated in the graph below. One, the challenge with ramping thermal power up and down. Two, the low load factor for thermal power plants at times of high renewable generation.
mechanisms, and managing demand profile. Each of these solutions are made more effective with use of energy storage solutions. Energy storage solutions when co-deployed with solar and wind farms can provide lowlatency high-flexibility power outputs for smoothing renewable energy outputs. This results in a predictable supply, reducing the ill effects of RE integration which could have caused frequency fluctuations and supply shortfall. Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has started moving towards this solution already as it has floated tenders to this effect. Energy storage solutions can also be deployed on their own for flexible generation. Energy storage solutions are superior to the power-generating plants at load-following, ramping rate, and the ramping range. SECI has also floated an RE based flexible peak power tender. Energy storage when deployed at consumption end provides for managing demand flexibly. Coupled with policy measures such as time of day tariffs, the consumer uptake of energy storage solutions can be incentivized. It is clear that energy storage solutions can smoothen the technical challenges of greening the grid. With increasing maturity of such solutions, their adoption is imperative. It is in the interest of the renewable energy generators to hasten the adoption, as the generators have been at the receiving end of the challenges such as high RE curtailment, non-compliance of PPAs, etc.
SOURCE: FLEXIBLE OPERATION OF THERMAL POWER PLANT FOR INTEGRATION OF RENEWABLE GENERATION, CENTRAL ELECTRICITY AUTHORITY
The solutions to the challenges posed are manifold – strengthening forecasting from renewables, smoothing renewable energy outputs, exploring flexible generation
APR-MAY ISSUE 2021 | PG 29
PERSPECTIVE
PLI SCHEME ON ADVANCED CHEMISTRY CELL BATTERY STORAGE: OVERVIEW AND ANALYSIS
The Government of India and the Department of Heavy Industries
&
Public
Enterprises
have
approved
the
Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the ’ National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) battery storage’ . ACCs are a new advanced generation and category of batteries/energy storage which can store electric energy in electromechanical or chemical form and as and when required convert it back. India is expecting a large boom in electric vehicles (EVs), solar energy, power generation, and consumer electronics in the future, which are likely to utilize this set of ACCs for powering these new products/services. India currently imports this technology and depends heavily on foreign makers for demand. However, with this new incentive, an import substitution of USD 2. 67 billion is expected every year. Additionally, this is expected
to
augment
domestic
value-addition
of
approximately 60% localization over the scheme’ s tenure. Thus, India is expected to reduce its carbon emissions and greenhouse gas emissions in the future, and such a scheme is a step in the right direction for the country to neutralize such emissions. In order to understand this concept in greater detail, we asked our experts to give us an overview of the same. Let' s read on…
MAY ISSUE 2021 | PG 30
Animesh Damani Managing Partner, Artha Energy Resources
THE CABINET APPROVAL OF THE ₹18100 CRORE PLI SCHEME WAS A LONG TIME IN THE MAKING. Energy storage is not a new concept and batteries have been around for more than a century. However, the transition to new technologies and new requirements propelled by the move towards clean energy has made investments in new advanced energy storage systems a necessity. Advanced Chemistry Cell Batteries are the new generation of these advanced storage systems that are required to harness the grid produced energy and convert it into electricity when needed. One of the key reasons for the slow uptake of electric vehicles in India, or of rooftop solar, has been the lack of systemised access to these advanced ESS. This does not mean that there was no access or awareness. It simply means that the solutions were either expensive or not in tandem with the demand of the sectors. The fact that there are multiple industries that will be consumers of these advanced storage solutions holds great promise for the growth of renewable energy in India. A major segment that will benefit will be electric vehicles. The country has played a hide and seek with EVs for a long time. This is especially visible as EVs are becoming common in other markets around the world. The success of Tesla globally and its delayed entry into India is a clear example. Once the scheme is implemented, we can expect an expedited adoption of EVs in the country. The upgradation of our domestic battery manufacturing facilities will bring down costs and make EVs more affordable for the masses.
ADVANCED CHEMISTRY CELL BATTERIES ARE THE NEW GENERATION OF THESE ADVANCED STORAGE SYSTEMS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO HARNESS THE GRID PRODUCED ENERGY."
Another industry that is directly impacted is the renewable energy sector. A question that has always created uncertainty among consumers has been about harnessing solar power and other renewable energy when it is limited due to natural conditions. How do you get electricity at night if you have only solar power? Or when you have only had rains for days on end! The solutions to all these questions lie in the advanced Energy Storage Solutions. It allows for a greater grid flexibility and stability. It can supply power during peak times and charge during off-peak times, thereby managing variability caused by Renewable Energy and also taking advantage of dynamic pricing mechanisms. Grid balancing has been a major challenge as renewable penetration increases further. Grid connected energy storage systems can help mitigate these challenges and meet the changing consumption patterns and ensure a constant supply of electricity. 24x7! The lack of investments in domestic manufacturing of ESS till date rendered the existing facilities incapable of matching the growing demand leading to our dependence on imports. The PLI scheme, with the direct investment of Rs 45,000 crores in these storage systems and target of 50 GWh of ACC manufacturing facilities, is that first step towards making our facilities at par with global counterparts and ensuring that we Make in India for India and the world, eventually.
APR-MAY ISSUE 2021 | PG 31
Dhruv Warrior Consultant, CEEW
INDIA IS PROJECTED TO SEE DEMAND FOR HIGH-ENERGY-DENSITY BATTERIES GROW EXPONENTIALLY IN THE COMING YEARS." India is projected to see demand for high-energydensity batteries grow exponentially in the coming years. Its growing electric vehicle (EV) sales and deployment of grid-scale batteries are the two main drivers shaping this attractive potential market. Yet domestic battery production is still at a nascent stage and needs to be scaled up. The government has taken a step in the right direction by approving a production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme to encourage investors to set up battery manufacturing plants in India, an ambitious move that promises to deepen the country’s integration in the global battery value chain. But if we hope to achieve true self-sufficiency and match the scale of other global players, this initiative should be the starting point for a broader policy framework.
The scheme in question – the National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage – aims to support the commissioning of 50 GWh of high-energy-density and high-cycle-life ACC manufacturing capacity in India. The scheme’s total outlay of INR 18,100 crore (nearly USD 2.5 billion) will be disbursed over a five-year period as a percentage of the price of batteries sold. To promote value chain indigenisation, the programme requires manufacturers to achieve a domestic value addition of 60% in five years. It could encourage investments of up to INR 45,000
crore in the local production of not just ACC batteries, but also upstream cell components such as electrolytes and electrode materials. Still, the success of PLI is largely dependent on manufacturers’ appetite for the initial investment risk. The onus is also on the government to mitigate avoidable hurdles. For example, since some cathode materials (like lithium and cobalt) cannot be importsubstituted, public entities like Khanij Bidesh India Limited must play a crucial role in ensuring that we have offtake agreements for these key supplyconstrained minerals. India will also need to significantly ramp up production of ancillary parts to ensure that factories run without hiccups. We should incentivise MSMEs to contribute to pack assembly and component manufacturing by offering them financial support through attractive financing rates, capex support, or PLI schemes. Despite its attractive features, the PLI scheme for ACC battery manufacturing is not a silver bullet for scaling up the sector. While it can encourage a buildout of large “giga-scale” battery manufacturing, achieving cost parity with global players may take time. Further, India’s ACC capacity must far exceed 50 GWh to meet domestic demand and match a projected global production of 3 TWh by 2030. A CEEW analysis from December 2020 suggests that annual EV battery demand in India may increase to 158 GWh by 2030, while the Central Electricity Authority projects that grid scale storage capacity will have risen to 100 GWh by then. Finally, India should rethink its technology-agnostic policy, which focuses primarily on energy density and cycle life. It should also support the scale-up of recyclable technologies with lower critical mineral requirements and a good track record of performance in Indian climatic conditions. By maintaining a long-term vision, India can build on the PLI scheme and develop a truly sustainable battery manufacturing ecosystem.
APR-MAY ISSUE 2021 | PG 32
Deepak Kumar Thakur Partner, L&L Partners
Puspak Chamariya Associate, L&L Partners
THE GROWTH PROSPECTS, AS ENVISAGED BY THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT, FOR THIS BATTERY MARKET IS IMMENSE, AND PERCOLATES TO LARGE INDUSTRIES LIKE RAILWAYS AND SHIPPING AS WELL." Following a recent boost to Hydrogen based fuelcell technology, the Department of Heavy Industry, Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Government of India, proposed the National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell B a t t e r y S t o r a g e (( ““PPrrooggrraam mm m e” e ”)). T h e P r o g r a m m e has attracted a lot of interest from the battery manufacturers since its approval on May 12, 2021. As a part of the Production Linked Incentive S c h e m e ( ““ PPLLII””)), t h e P r o g r a m m e a i m s t o i n c e n t i v i s e the entities who are engaged in the manufacturing AC a n d s a l e s o f A d v a n c e C h e m i s t r y C e l l ((““ A CC C”” )) Battery. In an otherwise void market, which has been totally dependent on expensive imports until now, a self reliant Indian manufacturing market for ACC batteries can prove a boost to India’s clean energy plans. ACC’s advanced technology allows for storage of electricity in either electrochemical or chemical form, which can be used as electric energy as and when required. The focus on ACC based batteries is a definite sign of aggressive push towards functional Electric Vehicle, while also catering to consumer electronics. The growth prospects, as envisaged by the Indian Government, for this battery market is immense, and percolates to large industries like railways and shipping as well. India’s energy market has constantly seen a dire need for energy storage, as a chunk of renewable energy is wasted if not consumed on a daily basis.
India’s new venture into Hydrogen based energy economy also seeks a need for energy storage, for consistent and protracted growth, and most importantly grid stability.
The Programme aims to involve companies to set up a total of 50 GWh manufacturing capacity with an anticipated investment of INR 45,000 Crore, wherein, each manufacturer would be committed to a minimum setup of 5 GWh, with a 60% value addition over the next 5 years. While the rider of financial investment of at least INR 225 Crore per GWh is a steep ask, the implied growth prospects within the policy, intending to assure economies of scale in the long run, is a benefit that will keep the incentivized public-private model entrants interested. All incentives, promised to be paid over a 5- year period, after the commissioning of the plants in 2 years from allocation, shall be linked to performance on the basis of sales, energy production and efficiency, battery life cycle, etc. The PLI could be the metaphorical stick that assures globally competitive products from all manufacturers, whilst also ensuring longevity of policy considering the hard-shift towards environmentally sustainable methods of energy storage, with staggered and protracted growth in capacity, to match the staggered growth in demands. While India’s policy towards renewable energy has blown hot and cold with unmatched ambition and implementation, this Scheme visibly encapsulates within itself a long-term plan. As a policy with multi-faceted gains to various visions for the future, the ample thought and foresight behind the Programme by the Government of India is indicative of serious moves in the right direction in a sustainable energy economy. The underlying environmental benefits of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy conservation aside, this Scheme is spirited with Atma Nirbhar Bharat and Make in India campaigns, while also reducing heavy import costs and reclaiming local manufacturing, with global standards. As electric vehicles and electronic consumables start to trend worldwide, India’s catchup acts are not just competitive, but also commendable, if implemented right.
APR-MAY ISSUE 2021 | PG 33
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