AES Netherlands has unveiled its Advancion Energy Storage array in Vlissingen, Netherlands which provides 10 MW of interconnected energy storage.
Claimed to be largest battery system and provides up to 20 MW of flexible power backup to the grid, making it a better alternative to conventional power plants for provision of load balancing services.
The array would help to enable higher levels of renewable energy integration, increased grid reliability and can reduce both emissions and costs by providing fast response balancing services to the electric grid.
Advancion 4 is the latest offering from AES, which is a battery-based alternative to traditional peaking power plants and pumped hydroelectric storage projects that provides a dependable, smart and cost-effective means to modernize power systems.
The array includes more than 45,000 batteries supplied by Samsung SDI in its first deployment.
Additional project suppliers and partners include inverter suppliers Parker Hannifin and balance of plant provider DELTA Infra and its subcontractors.
European Commission Head of Unit for New Energy Technologies, Innovation and Clean Coal, Andreea Strachinescu said: "An ever growing number of renewable energy sources in Europe will require breakthrough technologies for grid stabilization and balancing."
"Electrical energy storage can play a key role in the enhanced use of renewable energy and development of smart grids in Europe.
"Emerging market models such as AES’, will be pivotal for large scale deployment of electrical energy storage in Europe."
Samsung SDI, ESS Business head, Sewoong Park said: "We are proud to have our advanced battery technology selected to be part of this Advancion array."
"We look forward to further participating in the Advancion platform as it is expanded in Europe and elsewhere."
Parker Hannifin’s Global Energy Grid Tie Division general manager, Jim Hoelscher said: "Our power conversion systems are highly scalable and can be customized for a number of applications, making them ideal for use with the AES Advancion solution architecture."
"We are happy to build on our long history of working with AES."
The array would compete weekly with traditional generators to provide balancing services to the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and Austria via the TenneT system.
TenneT, Customers and Markets, senior manager Ms. Gineke Van Dijk said: "This AES investment fits perfectly into TenneT’s vision that grid stability should be less dependent on large conventional power plants in the future."
"If wind and solar energy continue to increase, batteries will be an excellent alternative to take over this role of power plants."
Image: AES Netherlands Advancion Array Opening Ceremony. Photo: Courtesy of AES Energy Storage