Siemens to deliver 1.4 MWh battery storage unit to German utility

• 7 years ago (2017-04-14)
• David Flin

Distribution 108 Europe 1061

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Siemens has been contracted by German public utility Stadtwerke Schwäbisch Hall to deliver and install a 1.4 MWh battery storage system to be used to market primary control reserves.

The Siestorage system will have an output of 1 MW, and is expected to be connected to the grid and commence operation in the summer. The lithium-ion battery will be delivered in a container on a turnkey basis, and installed by Siemens, along with the necessary inverters, transformers, and control system. The system is primarily intended to help the Stadtwerke Schwäbisch Hall stabilise grid frequency for its electricity customers.

Additional applications for the Siestorage unit are currently in the planning stage, but according to the utility’s Managing Director Gebhard Gentner, it already suits the company’s existing assets. He said: “The energy storage system complements our decentralised power generation plants very well. These plants cover 60 per cent of total consumption in Schwäbisch Hall, and now consist of a high share of renewables.”

The role of such units is expected to increase in Germany as distributed power supply continues to increase. The integration of additional renewables and the subsequent changes in volatility means grid operators need reserve power to establish a balance between generation and consumption.