Britta MacIntosh

Ameresco and Sunel Group have begun construction on a multiple solar PV park project portfolio, on behalf of Sonnedix, across the UK.

The design-build projects will consist of five ground-mounted solar PV parks throughout England designed to generate approximately 300,000 MWh of renewable electricity per year. The parks include Cowley Complex, Gonerby Solar, Winkburn Solar Farm, Gammaton Solar Farm and Lawns Solar Farm. 

“We are thrilled to partner with Sunel as Sonnedix converts its UK project pipeline to deliver positive clean energy results that will benefit many individuals across the UK,” says Ameresco’s Britta MacIntosh. “Solar energy solutions are a critical part of the clean energy transition, and we are so happy to work with partners who feel just as passionately about tackling decarbonization goals.”

Sonnedix is the owner of the portfolio. Ameresco Sunel Energy, a joint venture between Ameresco and Sunel, will serve as the design build partner. The portfolio is already fully contracted under the UK government’s Contracts for Difference scheme, which provides a guaranteed price for electricity through 15-year contracts with the low carbon contracts company.

“We are excited to be executing our UK pipeline, contributing to the UK’s overall supply of clean energy and energy security,” says Axel Thiemann, Sonnedix’s CEO. “Accelerating the energy transition requires action and effort among many groups, and we are delighted to work with Ameresco and Sunel, who we know have a track record of successful clean energy projects.”

Once construction is completed, the combined parks are anticipated to produce enough clean energy to power 85,000 UK homes and avoid 58,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually, says Ameresco.

Construction on the solar portfolio is expected to reach completion by early 2025.

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Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

Dubai has inaugurated the world’s largest concentrated solar power project, says UAE, within the city’s Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.

“Our journey towards sustainability is comprehensive, encompassing advanced clean energy projects across diverse renewable sources and innovative solutions integrated into various spheres of the economy and society,” says Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.  

“The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is at the heart of Dubai and the UAE’s commitment to create a world-class infrastructure for sustainability and a robust foundation for building an environmentally friendly future.”

The 950 MW fourth phase covers an area of 44 square km. It uses three hybrid technologies: 600 MW from a parabolic basin complex, 100 MW from the CSP tower and 250 MW from photovoltaic solar panels. 

The project uses the independent power producer model and features the tallest solar tower in the world, at 263.126 m, and the largest thermal energy storage capacity with a capacity of 5,907 MWh, according to Guinness World Records. Built at an investment of AED15.78 billion, the project also features 70,000 heliostats that track the sun’s movement, says Dubai.

A consortium led by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power established Noor Energy 1 as a project company to design, build and operate the fourth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. DEWA holds a 51% stake in the company, ACWA Power holds 25% and the Chinese Silk Road Fund owns 24%.

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The four projects are:

a 15.8MW/35MWh project in Tangermünde, Saxony-Anhalt

a 20.7MW/41.4MWh project in Karstädt, Brandenburg

a 137.5MW/275 MWh project in Alfeld, Lower Saxony

an unspecified project with a power capacity of 20.7MW, still to be transferred

Construction on all four projects will start next year. The four total 194.7MW of power and at least 350MWh of energy storage capacity with the fourth project’s MWh not revealed. Two previous 20.7MW projects that Kyon worked on were 1-hour systems.

BESS projects in Germany are generally moving to longer durations of 2 hours or more with the revenue advantage of these versus 1-hour systems growing as Energy-Storage.news recently wrote (Premium access).

The 275MWh Alfeld project was claimed to be the ‘largest in Europe’ by Kyon when it announced the regulatory green light to build it last month, though this claim would only be true if you exclude the UK as Energy-Storage.news observed in its coverage at the time. And with construction yet to start it could feasibly be usurped by another project.

“Battery storage systems make a significant contribution to building a resilient energy infrastructure based on renewable energies and thus to achieving the energy and climate targets. The fact that we were already able to contribute 200 MW to the framework agreement in the first year is a major milestone and reflects our commitment to driving forward the energy transition in Germany,” said Florian Antwerpen, Managing Director of Kyon Energy.

Alongside helping to achieve renewable energy deployment goals, grid-scale energy storage could save the German taxpayer €3 billion a year by 2037 according to developer and system integrator Eco Stor. Eco Stor has deployed projects for Kyon, including the aforementioned paid 20.7MW systems.

Energy-Storage.news did a deep-dive on the German grid-scale market for an edition of PV Tech Power, Solar Media’s quarterly journal, last year.

Energy-Storage.news’ publisher Solar Media will host the 9th annual Energy Storage Summit EU in London, 21-22 February 2024. This year it is moving to a larger venue, bringing together Europe’s leading investors, policymakers, developers, utilities, energy buyers and service providers all in one place. Visit the official site for more info.

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ABB has installed a distribution solution to support the new 250 ha floating solar power plant located in the Cirata Reservoir, in West Java, Indonesia. 

One of a growing number of floating solar installations worldwide that are building on existing

hydropower plants, the Cirata project is capable of delivering energy to 50,000 Indonesia homes, says the company.  

The Cirata plant project is a collaboration between the Indonesian government, through PT PLN Nusantara Power, and Abu Dhabi-based renewable energy group Masdar. Working in collaboration with on-site engineers, ABB installed, tested and commissioned medium-voltage primary air-insulated switchgear at Phase 1 of the project, which has a capacity of 192 MWp.

Its anchoring and mooring reaches depths of 100 m in the Cirata Dam.

“We are proud to be part of this project, which is not only strategically important for Indonesia but also sets an example for other global economies that are looking to bolster their decarbonization plans with floating solar technology,” says ABB’s Ken Yap.

The floating solar power plant was recently inaugurated by the Indonesian President, Joko Widodo.

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Construction on the new projects will start in early 2024 for a commercial operation date (COD) in late 2024 and the first half of 2025.

The projects are being developed, built and operated through a joint venture (JV) partnership between the two, which delivered the 100MW of assets brought online to-date. Tax equity financing for that 100MW was secured in August, from tax equity specialist investor Greencoat Capital.

System integrator FlexGen deployed the JV’s projects that are already online and its CCO Yann Brandt tweeted on the news of the new 100MW acquisition, congratulating the pair on their continued collaboration.

Texas is one of the busiest markets in the US for energy storage, with some 750MW coming online in the third quarter of 2023 and 9.5GW set to be online by the end of 2024 according to grid operator ERCOT. Most systems coming online and being built are two-hour duration in order to capitalise on more energy-intensive revenue streams as well as to manage new state-of-charge (SOC) requirements.

The new projects SUSI and SMT are working on are likely to actually be 9.9MW-rated or lower. Projects that size or less benefit from much faster interconnection process from grid operator ERCOT, coming online as much as two years’ quicker than larger-scale projects.

Within the ERCOT context, projects of that size are often termed ‘distributed-scale’ to differentiate from much larger projects, though in other US markets like the Northeast a 10MW project would very much be called ‘grid-scale’.

SUSI, which is headquartered in Switzerland, has also recently expanded into the grid-scale energy storage markets in Italy and Chile.

Energy-Storage.news’ publisher Solar Media will host the 5th Energy Storage Summit USA, 19-20 March 2024 in Austin, Texas. Featuring a packed programme of panels, presentations and fireside chats from industry leaders focusing on accelerating the market for energy storage across the country. For more information, go to the website.

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However, given that complexity, BESS operators face challenges in safety assurance, in managing their dependencies on system providers, and in maximising asset revenue.

PowerUp, a premier battery analytics provider, tackles these issues with advanced electrochemistry and data expertise. The solution facilitates early malfunction detection, provides a transparent third-party perspective, empowering customers to make informed decisions, and optimise BESS performance and safety across diverse usage profiles.

Dr Arnaud Delaille is PowerUp’s chief science and innovation officer.

What are battery analytics solutions, and who can benefit from using them?

Battery analytics solutions leverage advanced algorithms and real-time monitoring for data-driven assessment, management, and optimisation of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).

These solutions analyse key data points from Battery Management Systems (BMS), including temperature, voltage, and current, providing insights into battery safety and health.

Stakeholders benefiting from battery analytics include:

•            BESS owners and investors: during design, analytics aid in sizing the system, choosing suitable battery cells, and meeting performance objectives. In commissioning, it validates system operation and proper integration.

•            BESS operators (independent power producers, developers, system integrators): operators utilise analytics for continuous monitoring and optimising performance and safety. It manages charge cycles, ensures optimal state-of-charge, and provides early warnings for proactive maintenance, reducing downtime and repair costs.

•            Insurance Companies: Playing a crucial role in the BESS value chain, insurance providers utilise battery analytics for risk assessment, loss prevention, premium determination, and claims processing. Analytics can help avoid business interruption claims altogether by returning assets to service with the deductible period.

Batteries will be used in many different ways to store energy; serving different applications in different scenarios. Can the use of analytics be adapted to be useful across a broad range of scenarios?

Absolutely, the adaptability of battery analytics is a cornerstone of its effectiveness. Battery analytics relies on a sophisticated combination of advanced yet standardised algorithms, complemented by machine learning capabilities. These algorithms are designed to extract value from any type of battery application, whether it involves frequency regulation, energy shifting, balancing mechanism or other scenarios.

The strength of battery analytics lies in its ability to provide a versatile solution for diverse applications. Standardised algorithms ensure a consistent and high level of performance across various scenarios.

However, recognising that each application may have unique requirements, battery analytics is further enhanced by an expert support team. This dedicated team plays a crucial role in calibrating the algorithms to address the specific needs of each application.

Dr Arnaud Delaille is CIO and one of the co-founders at PowerUp.

Their expertise ensures that the analytics system is finely tuned to the intricacies of different use cases, providing operators with tailored insights and support in their everyday asset analysis. This combination of advanced algorithms and applied expertise makes battery analytics a powerful and adaptable tool kit for optimising battery performance across a broad range of energy storage scenarios.

How can the smart application of analytics make battery operation even safer?

While the Battery Management System (BMS) remains paramount for ensuring the safety of battery operations, it is primarily designed to monitor and control the battery within the manufacturer’s specifications. However, the smart application of battery analytics serves as a crucial complement to BMS.

Battery analytics excel in early detection of potential malfunctions, such as cell imbalance or abnormal temperature and voltage conditions. These indicators may initially impact the performance of the asset before leading to safety issues if left unaddressed.

By offering a more comprehensive and nuanced analysis of the battery’s behavior, analytics provide a proactive layer of protection, enabling operators to identify and rectify issues before they escalate into safety concerns.

This dual approach, combining the shutdown capability of BMS with the predictive capabilities of analytics, employs a holistic strategy for enhancing both the performance and safety of battery operations.

What are the most important aspects of battery analytics that someone considering investing in battery storage should consider?

When contemplating an investment in battery storage, it is paramount to recognise the significance of data access and negotiation with system providers, including integrators and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).

Access to comprehensive and stored battery data from the energy storage system is critical for effective battery analytics. It is imperative to establish clear agreements with system providers regarding data accessibility, ensuring that the necessary information is available for in-depth analysis.

As part of this comprehensive approach, battery analytics providers play a crucial role in assisting you in determining the optimal level of data required. Their expertise ensures a cost-effective strategy for data collection and storage while focusing on the relevance of the data to enhance battery health and safety algorithms.

Moreover, the timing of integrating battery analytics is crucial. Consideration should begin well before project finalisation and commissioning.

Incorporating analytics into the planning and design phases allows for a proactive approach in ensuring optimal system performance and mitigating potential malfunctions or safety concerns. Early adoption of battery analytics enables thorough monitoring from the outset, facilitating the identification and resolution of any issues before they escalate.

By addressing data access and integration timelines, investors can maximise the benefits of battery analytics, enhancing the overall efficiency, safety, and endurance of their battery storage investment. This strategic approach ensures that the investment not only meets immediate energy storage needs but is also future-proofed for evolving regulations and industry advancements.

Why does analytics require specialist providers such as PowerUp, versus relying on the battery management system (BMS) alone, or developing analytics in-house?

Battery analytics necessitate specialist providers like PowerUp for several reasons. Firstly, while Battery Management Systems (BMS) are essential for monitoring specific cells and modules, their scope is often narrow, and their computing capabilities are limited. BMS is primarily focused on local management within the battery itself, offering insights into internal parameters. However, it lacks the broader perspective needed for comprehensive performance optimisation and predictive analysis.

In a nutshell, the BMS can be compared to an airplane cockpit while battery analytics are more akin to an air traffic control tower: they have distinct yet complementary roles in managing battery systems.

While the BMS ensures the immediate safety and well-being of individual cells and packs, battery analytics take a more strategic approach, focusing on the broader health and performance of the entire battery ecosystem on the one hand; and its predictive safety on the other.

Secondly, battery analytics demand advanced electrochemistry and data expertise, which go beyond the capabilities of a typical BMS. Specialist providers like PowerUp bring a wealth of knowledge in interpreting complex electrochemical interactions and developing sophisticated algorithms to extract meaningful insights from extensive datasets. This expertise is vital for predicting potential issues, optimising performance, and ensuring the longevity of battery systems.

Furthermore, developing in-house analytics solutions may pose challenges due to the specialised skill sets required, potentially resulting in suboptimal performance and increased development costs. Specialist providers, such as PowerUp, bring a proven track record of success and a deep understanding of the intricacies of battery systems.

Lastly, battery analytics offer an objective, third-party view for BESS operators. This is particularly important as operators often have dependencies on their system providers, including integrators and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).

An independent analytics provider offers unbiased insights, contributing to a more transparent and reliable assessment of the BESS’s performance, efficiency, and safety. This external perspective is crucial for making informed decisions and ensuring the optimal operation of energy storage systems.

Dr Arnaud Delaille was among speakers in a recent Energy-Storage.news webinar hosted with PowerUp, ‘The economic benefits of cloud-based battery analytics for energy storage assets’, which you can watch below:

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Using the solution, operators can utilise DES assets across their radio access networks (RAN) to participate in electricity markets and optimise their own energy consumption. Doing so could halve operators’ electricity costs while helping the integration of renewable energy in the wider market, Elisa said.

Elisa announced in February 2023 that it would be rolling out 150MWh of batteries across its network which it would aggregate with its DES platform, as reported by Energy-Storage.news at the time.

A spokesperson for Elisa told Energy-Storage.news that these are all lithium-ion, lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. Most existing backup power today at RAN networks is made up of lead-acid batteries.

“We are evaluating the performance of sodium-based chemistries, but do not expect mass deployments with those to start yet in 2024,” they added.

The total RAN network in Europe is around 100 times larger than Elisa’s in Finland, meaning the potential energy storage market for RAN networks could be around 15GWh with more from fixed networks and data centers.

The firm’s DES solution has only been deployed in its home markets of Finland and Estonia to-date and the spokesperson said it could be made suitable for any market: “At present the way northern European markets are operated and regulated – Nordics, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, France, UK – they are all suitable. With EU harmonisation of electricity markets proceeding, the EU 27 (nations) should all be good ground for DES in the next years.”

Other major telecoms networks like Germany’s Deutsche Telekom have also announced major DES plans, with Deutsche Telekom beginning a 300MWh rollout earlier this year. Providers specifically targeting the telecoms network include fellow Finn Pixii, which is working on Deutsche Telekom’s rollout, as well as Sweden-headquartered Polarium.

Another, newer firm Hardened Network Solutions, Inc wrote a guest blog on the use case of battery storage for telecoms networks in September.

Energy-Storage.news then asked Elisa whether its DES platform needed to be specifically designed for a RAN network or whether it was applicable to VPPs utilising residential or commercially-sited batteries.

“We are confident that the DES VPP can be set up to run on any distributed energy storage network, including industrial or residential sites,” they said.

“We started with RAN partly due to its role in national resilience – in times of disturbance, it is critical that mobile communications keep on working so that authorities and other stakeholders can keep communicating to fix issues.”

“So we have put a lot of focus on system security and reliability. It is also clear that distributed assets, including residential, have a much wider role to play in enabling smooth energy sector transition towards zero-carbon.”

Discussing challenges to DES rollouts at RAN and telecom networks, they added: “The regulation and market practices are not always well established for distributed assets to join the energy markets, which makes progress in some regions slower and less predictable. On the technical side, physical size limitations for batteries can be a constraint for some base station sites.”

Elisa has published a whitepaper on telecoms networks and energy storage, available here.

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Results were published in mid-November with in total 34 projects awarded capacity in the auction across the entire territory, including one project each in the Canary Islands and Balearic Islands, however most of the capacity was focused in the central provinces of Spain, as shown in the map below.

The launch of this first tender aimed to co-locate energy storage with other renewable sources, mainly solar PV, and aimed to fund at least 600MW of projects with a fund of €150 million (US$162 million) in capital expenditure for the projects.

Grants will cover 40-65% of the project cost depending on the size of the company applying, while nearly €160 million ended up being allocated to the awarded projects.

All the projects but one are targeted to be completed in 2025, with the exception being one awarded in the Balearic Islands, expected to be completed by the end of April 2026. Spain targets 20GW of new energy storage by 2030.

The first tender ended up being oversubscribed with more than 1.1GW/1.1GWh capacity, between 58 projects, not selected for the funding of the tender.

The projects that were awarded in the PERTE tender were measured based on four criteria, with different points. Projects were awarded based on the total score across these four criteria which were: economic viability (35%), technical features (25%), project viability (10%) and externalities (30%).

According to a post on LinkedIn from Lars Stephan, senior manager of policy and market development at Fluence, Spain’s way of selecting winning projects was “quite different” to other support schemes seen in Europe in the past. “Taking technical criteria in sight will ensure that smartest instead of cheapest systems are going to be built; systems that will be able to provide future system needs such as inertia and other system stability services.”

Energy-Storage.news’ publisher Solar Media will host the 9th annual Energy Storage Summit EU in London, 20-21 February 2024. This year it is moving to a larger venue, bringing together Europe’s leading investors, policymakers, developers, utilities, energy buyers and service providers all in one place. Visit the official site for more info.

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NHOA claimed it is the biggest operational battery storage facility on the island to date. Taiwan has been seeing growth in its energy storage market since the introduction of auctions for procurement of frequency regulation ancillary services by grid operator TaiPower in 2020.

HePing is an industrial facility of NHOA’s parent company, Taiwan Cement Corporation (TCC). TCC bought a majority stake in NHOA from European utility group Engie, adding to a company portfolio that also includes Molicell, a Taiwan-based lithium battery manufacturer.  

Last year, TCC chairman Nelson Chang gave a speech in which he described batteries as “key to the future of energy,” and noted Taiwan would need about 9GW of energy storage – equivalent to 20% of Taiwan’s 2030 renewable energy target – to integrate the new clean energy capacity on the grid.

As a home of high tech manufacturing and an island grid, the need for grid-balancing is acute, leading Taipower to establish its first frequency regulation auctions, for automatic frequency control (AFC), in 2020.

That brought in numerous market entrants including system integrators with presence in US and European markets such as Powin, Fluence, Tesla and Wartsila, while Anglo-American flow battery provider Invinity Energy Systems recently inked a partnership to put systems into the market.

TCC actually laid claim to delivering the first grid-connected BESS asset to participate in AFC, with a system at its Changhua Coastal Industrial Park that went online in April 2021. At that time, the initial AFC auction had been for just 15MW, and with a 5MW win, TCC was the only bidder to be selected using battery cells made in Taiwan.

Since then, TCC has ordered a total of 442MWh of BESS from its new subsidiary NHOA, including the 311MWh asset at HePing, to address growing ancillary service market opportunities as well as other value streams.  

Enhanced Dynamic Regulation: 2.5-hour dispatch, 50% capacity

“In response to recent blackouts and the government’s commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050, Taiwan has seen a significant surge in energy storage system deployments,” a spokesperson for NHOA told Energy-Storage.news.

The spokesperson told Energy-Storage.news that the HePing BESS has been designed specifically for TaiPower’s Enhanced Dynamic Regulation (E-dReg) market, which the grid operator launched last year.

Two key features of E-dReg stand out from the energy storage asset developer or operator perspective: it requires systems of a minimum 5MW, with 2.5-hour or more duration (12.5MWh); and it requires only 50% of a system’s capacity to be available, meaning that projects installed at industrial or commercial facilities such as HePing can also perform other services such as behind-the-meter peak shaving of onsite electricity consumption. (See here for a brief but handy explainer of E-dReg, by research firm InfoLink.)

“Notably, NHOA Energy’s system, installed in the HePing industrial plant, is the largest in Taiwan and has been specifically designed to meet the national demands of the E-dReg (Enhanced Dynamic Regulation) service, requiring a minimum of 2.5 hours of dispatch capability,” the spokesperson said.

NHOA providing a complete battery storage solution including the company’s own proprietary power conversion system (PCS), inverter controls, power plant controller (PPC) and energy management system (EMS).

In its most recent financial results, the company said it had brought 535MWh of cumulative BESS capacity into operation as of the end of Q3 2023, a big jump from 111MWh at the same time last year. Executives guided that NHOA should hit EBITDA breakeven during 2023 and meet revenue targets.

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Gridstor notes that the system has the capacity to supply electricity to Goleta’s residential population every day “though the hours of greatest demand on the electric system”.

“California has an urgent need for grid reliability as it decarbonises its economy, and battery storage is the critical resource that meets both challenges,” said Chris Taylor, CEO of Gridstor. “We could not be prouder to work with the city of Goleta and other stakeholders to bring this facility to life and support California’s goals for clean, reliable energy.”

The Tesla Megapack BESS units used were built at the tech, energy and electric vehicle (EV) company’s dedicated production site in Lathrop, California. The US looks to encourage more domestic development of energy infrastructure through legislation such as the Inflation Reduction Act. Investor Nord/LB also provided US$55 billion of project debt financing to complete the development of the project.

Gridstor and started construction on the project in June, following its acquisition of a 2GWh portfolio of under-development battery storage projects in Los Angeles, with the company looking to expand its footprint quickly.

While Gridstor was only founded last year, it has already received the support of Horizon Energy Storage, a fund managed by Goldman Sachs, due in part to the experience of Taylor. He was the founder and chief development officer of wind and solar company Element Power, and worked as the director of development at EDP Renewables North America, and his expertise has helped quickly establish Gridstor as a significant player in the California battery sector.

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