An Alstom-Saft consortium has won a contract to provide an energy storage system including Li-ion batteries for the EDF Group.
The contract comprises a 1MW/30min energy and conversion system. France’s Saft will supply a 20ft lithium-ion battery container and compatriot Alstom a power converter that connects the DC battery to the AC grid and converts the power to be stored or released into the grid.
The system will be installed on French state utility EDF’s energy efficiency research centre in Les Renardières, France and is part of EDF’s research for frequency regulation. The group’s R&D department will investigate the ability of the storage system to regulate the frequency and adjustment potential of the primary reserve.
The primary reserve in France is estimated at 650MW. “This innovative experiment will demonstrate the added value of a battery storage system and the performance of Li-ion technology in this promising sector”, said François Bouchon, director of energy storage at Saft. Alstom and Saft are said to deliver in late 2014.
The system is part of the Nouvelle France Industrielle project, a scheme launched by the French government in 2013. “At the cutting edge of smart grid and power transportation infrastructure optimization technologies, Alstom Grid is contributing its technological expertise to the excellence of the French and European energy industry”, said Patrick Plas, senior vice president at Alstom Grid. The planned delivery will be the first battery storage system for primary frequency control in France.