Energy company Statkraft is to build Ireland’s first four-hour battery energy storage system (BESS). The 20 MW BESS will be supplied by Fluence, the global company that specialises in utility-scale BESS and services.
The BESS will be co-located with Statkraft’s 55.8 MW Cushaling Wind Farm in Co. Offaly, currently under construction.
Statkraft said its Cushaling BESS is designed to provide 20 MW for up to four hours, adding that most grid-scale batteries in Ireland range from 30 minutes to two hours’ energy storage capacity.
Construction of the battery project is expected to be completed by late 2024. The Cushaling battery is Statkraft’s third to be developed in Ireland. Its two other batteries, also delivered by Fluence – Kilathmoy in 2020 and Kelwin-2 in 2021 – are located in Co. Kerry.
Statkraft said power transmission company EirGrid’s Tomorrow’s Energy Scenarios from 2017 identified the need for substantial investment in new storage technologies.
Wind Energy Ireland’s 70by30 report set out how the Irish power system could operate with up to 70% of annual electricity production coming from variable renewable energy sources by 2030.
Batteries and interconnection were identified as key enabling technologies. “Statkraft sees a strong future in batteries as a crucial part of future power systems, especially in markets dominated by wind and solar,” it states on its website.
