A second large-scale lead-carbon battery storage system has been put into operation in Germany by the country’s Upside Group.
The 16 MW/25 MWh installation at Bennewitz, in the state of Saxony, uses batteries supplied by China’s Narada— as does Upside’s first such lead project at Langenreichenbach, near Leipzig.
Upside general manager Marc Reimer, said the Bennewitz storage system “contributes to both grid relief in the entire region and the stabilisation of the Central European utility grid”. The system compensates for grid fluctuations and provides for better integration of energy from renewables into the grid.
A combined total of 18 containers with more than 10,500 battery cells and nine battery inverters have been installed on the Bennewitz and Langenreichenbach sites. The batteries, which are fully recyclable, have an estimated service life of 20 years.
Germany’s SMA Sunbelt Energy, a subsidiary of SMA Solar Technology, supplied battery inverters for the project.
Sunbelt general manager Enrique Garralaga Rojas said Bennewitz demonstrated its value even before it was officially commissioned. “In January, a major blackout almost occurred in Europe due to a significant drop in frequency to below 50Hz. Thanks to the use of battery-storage systems such as those in Bennewitz and Langenreichenbach, a failure of the electricity supply was prevented.”
The Upside Group Upside was established in 2010 as an association of international companies dealing in new energy technology focused on international photovoltaic power plant and storage projects.
