A grid-scale flow battery has passed the testing phase and is now set to harness renewable energy on a remote Scottish island.
The 1.68MWH energy storage system (ESS) by UK firm redT will serve as a microgrid when it’s integrated with the Scottish Isle of Gigha’s three wind turbines with a combined capacity of 775kW.
The system comprises of eight 20ft containers, seven of which will be the redT 15-240 modules (15kW 240kWh) with the 8th housing the PCS and service equipment.
The new ESS will allow an additional 20% minimum increase in wind generated power when a fourth turbine of 330kW is installed.
It also allows further renewable energy to be stored from photo-voltaic panels and tidal stream generators.
The vanadium battery will provide, among other things, black-start, frequency response, diesel generator replacement and Short-Term Operating Reserve (STOR) for the Hebridean island.
The energy storage system is being deployed with the help of project partners; Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE), EA Technology Ltd., Community Energy Scotland (CES) and Gigha Green Power Ltd. (GGPL).
This 2.5-year project aims to demonstrate the utility scale system in a demanding UK application and to develop the technology further towards the goal of full-scale commercial manufacture.
Earlier this month the UK electricity company National Grid announced 201MW of tenders for EES projects in the UK.
