Saft is working with ENERCON, the wind turbine and energy converter specialist, to deliver a major energy storage system (ESS) project for SEV, the power producer and distributor for the Faroe Islands. The 2.3 megawatt (MW) ESS project will see Europe’s first commercial deployment of a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery system operating in combination with a wind farm. The ESS will enhance grid stability by helping to smooth ramp rates and providing ancillary services such as frequency control, enabling SEV to capture the full potential of the new 12 MW Húsahagi wind farm.
The Faroe Islands is an archipelago and autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, situated in the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Norway and Iceland. The government is committed to reducing its dependence on oil by making use of the abundant wind and hydro energy resources. The aim is to increase the share of renewable generation from 38 percent in 2011 to 75 percent in 2020 as the country’s overall energy consumption continues to grow.
The latest step in this renewable energy programme was a new 12 MW wind farm, comprising 13 ENERCON wind turbines, located in Húsahagi, north of the capital Tórshavn on the island Streymoy. This wind farm, inaugurated in 2014, has increased the country’s wind share to 26 percent of total electricity production.
“The environmental and economic futures of the Faroe Islands demand that we maximize the usage of all our available renewable energy resources. But it is equally vital that we maintain grid stability and reliability as the penetration of intermittent generation increases”, says Terji Nielsen, SEV Project Manager. “That’s why we have entrusted this crucial Li-ion energy storage project to Saft and ENERCON who are proving exceptionally strong partners, thanks to their combination of fully commercialized technology and the capability to support us at every project stage from initial concept and solution modelling through to final delivery.”
The Li-ion ESS will operate in combination with the new wind farm to help SEV address the key grid stability issues created by an increasing penetration of intermittent renewable energy resources. In particular, it will provide ramp control to smooth out sharp increases and decreases in power, as well as frequency response and voltage control services. This will help to minimize curtailment (when wind generation is available but not injected into the grid) which can otherwise occur in periods of high wind and low consumption due to the destabilizing effect of variable wind generation.
The ESS will comprise two of Saft’s well proven Intensium® Max High Power containerised Li-ion battery systems, with a nominal rating of 700 kWh and 2.3 MW, combined with ENERCON’s containerised 2.3 MVA power conversion system and power control system. It is scheduled for commissioning in December 2015.