Client WEMAG AG
Location Schwerin, Germany
Sectors Utilities
The CHALLENGE
Keeping the grid stable
The increasing volume of clean but intermittent energy feeding into the grid disrupts the short-term balance between production and consumption. These fluctuations have to be compensated through the use of positive, or negative frequency regulation power.
If renewable energy penetration on a grid rises above a relatively low threshold, this power cannot come from conventional thermal power plants, which have to run at about 60 percent of their production capacity to have enough upward and downward flexibility.
This so-called “must-run” capacity clogs grids and forces renewable generation units to be taken offline.
We had a far better solution.
Project fact file
Capacity of battery storage
Can release energy in miliseconds
Commercial battery park in Europe
The SOLUTION
First commercial battery storage resource in Europe
We built a 5 MW/5 MWh battery power plant for WEMAG. Located in the Schwerin district of Lankow, the battery park is housed in a hall the size of a school gym. Inside, 1,600 battery “trays” contain 25,600 lithium- manganese-oxide cells that can store and release energy within milliseconds.
Five medium-voltage transformers connect the units to the grid and boost the current from 480 volts to 20 kilovolts
and back down as needed.
In late 2016, WEMAG decided to enlarge its battery park. With this upgrade, the utility’s storage resource will triple its power output from 5 MW to 15 MW, while the energy capacity will increase from 5 MWh to 15 MWh. An additional 1,254 modules or 27,588 cells will be installed in a second building.
The battery park earns its keep by competing in primary frequency regulation markets. In addition, we are currently upgrading the battery systems’ functionality to make it capable of black starts, full islanding mode and integrating renewables in grid restoration scenarios.
The Aggreko Difference
Breaking new ground in energy storage
The impact
Less curtailment of renewables and a more resilient grid
The Schwerin battery park was the first commercial battery storage resource in Europe. Since then it has been an active participant in the region’s frequency regulation market. The fact that WEMAG invested another 5 million euros in 2016 to increase the available power and energy for system service is a strong testimonial to the commercial success and performance of battery storage in Europe and the rest of the world.
We’re delivering proof that high power storage for the stabilization of the power grid is already an attractive business case.
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