Europe’s first commercial battery park will provide regional grid black-start back-up, the first time a stationary battery storage system has been able to do so in Germany.
In 2014, German energy storage systems developer Younicos installed the 5MW lithium-ion battery plant at Schwerin-Lankow for energy and natural gas utility WEMAG.
The 1,600 battery trays contain 25,600 cells and are housed in a purpose-built hall next to the substation. Read more here:
They are capable of full islanding mode and of integrating renewables in grid restoration scenarios.
To date, only conventional generation equipment has been used to restore power in case of grid shutdown.
The upgrade to the battery was made as part of a ‘Kickstarter’ demonstration project designed and built by Younicos.
“Smart software is the key to unlocking the potential of battery storage,” said Younicos co-founder Clemens Triebel.
“It enables battery plants to reliably provide essential system services such as balancing power and black start capability and island mode. This opens up new areas of application for WEMAG.”
The Kickstarter consortium consists of the local energy utility EVSE, the University of Rostock, WEMAG AG and Younicos.