US energy storage company Axion Power International (Axion) is to deliver lead-carbon batteries and its energy storage system (ESS) to a solar farm in Pennsylvania, US.
Axion will connect its PowerCube to the 13-state PJM grid and deploy other frequency regulation systems for the management of intermittent energy resources at the Coatesville Solar Initiative (CSI) site.
According to Axion CEO David DiGiacinto, the Pennsylvania-headquartered battery maker will deliver up to 5,000 to 6,000 lead-carbon batteries if the 19.4ha-sized PV farm reaches its full potential of 9.1MW.
“As Axion emerges into full commercialisation, the Coatesville Solar Initiative is a major milestone in industry acceptance. A solar farm that will generate more than 9MW of electricity is an important step for the renewable energy industry in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” said DiGiacinto.
Axion claims that its batteries are “nearly 100% recyclable” and tested to withstand 2,500 cycles of charge and discharge.
“We are pleased and proud to have been designated for CSI, and believe that the PbC storage and frequency regulation capability will shorten the payback time for the entire installation significantly,” added DiGiacinto.
The farm will be built in several phases. The construction work for the first phase is expected to start before the end of 2014.
