How to tame wind power's ups and downs

A new type of energy storage facility in the UK could eventually be deployed across the country to provide backup power generated by wind.

ABB’s DynaPeaQ installation in Norfolk takes in wind energy from a local village and stores it in a system of lithium-ion batteries. The stored energy can then be fed back into the grid to supply electricity during power failures, or can be used to help balance the natural ups and downs of wind power.

The DynaPeaQ system, which relies on stacks of battery modules, could offer a “highly scalable” solution for backup and balancing power in coastal regions that are home to grid-connected wind farms, according to ABB.Voltage and current fluctuations are levelled out with the help of ABB’s SVC Light static var compensator technology, which also helps to maintain safety margins and improve network stability.

The company installed the Norfolk facility for UK Power Networks, an electricity utility that serves eight million customers in London and other parts of southeast England. The utility plans to monitor the facility’s effectiveness with the help of the University of Durham with an eye toward possible future installations elsewhere in its service area, said Peter Lang, part of UK Power Networks’ Future Networks team.

The DynaPeaQ system is made up of eight stacks of 13 lithium-ion battery modules housed in a 25-square-metre building. The modules will be continually charged and discharged, and can store up to 200 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electrical energy.

Martin Grosss, head of ABB’s Grid Systems business, said the system is “an innovative technology that advances the integration of renewable power generation, especially in weak electrical networks … It can play a useful role in the development of more flexible, reliable and smarter grids.”