Rolls-Royce Supplies Large-Scale Battery Storage For Grid Stabilization And Electricity Trading To Encavis
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Rolls-Royce.
These two bullet points, act as sub-headings.
- mtu EnergyPack system with 24 megawatt hours to balance out volatile power generation from renewable energies and increase security of supply
- Commissioning of the storage system based on lithium-ion technology in the first quarter of 2025
This paragraph outlines the project.
Rolls-Royce is supplying an mtu battery energy storage system with an output of 12 megawatts and a storage capacity of 24 megawatt hours to Encavis AG. The battery system will support the Hamburg-based electricity producer in trading the electrical energy generated by German wind and solar parks by, among other things, balancing out fluctuations in generation and increasing security of supply. Rolls-Royce will supply and install the energy storage system on a turnkey basis. It is expected to go into operation in the first quarter of 2025.
Note.
- The deal includes construction, installation and ten years of maintenance.
- The battery can supply full power for two hours.
- The battery is supporting renewables.
- In Would You Buy A Battery Energy Storage System From Rolls-Royce?, I looked at a mtuEnergyPack in detail.
- The respective capacity value and efficiency of the plant are guaranteed over the entire term.
This looks to be a very professional deal.
Conclusion
This is the second press release on the corporate web site after Rolls-Royce Supplies mtu Large-Scale Battery Storage To Secure The Latvian National Grid, that was published a month ago, that talks about the mtuEnergyPack.
Could it be that Rolls-Royce are looking for a share of the UK market for grid batteries?
Mercia Power Response & RheEnergise Working Together To Build Long Duration Energy Storage Projects In The UK
The title of this post, is the same as that as this news item from Mercia PR.
As it is from the 16th of August last year, I wonder why my Google Alert didn’t pick it up.
This is the sub-heading.
Mercia Power Response, a key provider of flexible power response services to the UK grid, has signed an agreement with RheEnergise to explore the potential deployment of RheEnergise’s new and innovative form of long-duration hydro-energy storage, known as High-Density Hydro® (HD Hydro).
These are the first three paragraphs.
Mercia Power Response, a key provider of flexible power response services to the UK grid, has signed an agreement with RheEnergise to explore the potential deployment of RheEnergise’s new and innovative form of long-duration hydro-energy storage, known as High-Density Hydro® (HD Hydro). Mercia Power Response (“Mercia PR”) and RheEnergise will work together to identify suitable sites for additional HD Hydro storage projects. The two companies’ initial focus will be the feasibility of getting 100MW of HD Hydro in commercial operation by 2030 by utilising Mercia PR’s existing grid connections.
With 40 sites having a combined capacity of 263MW and a number of sites under development and construction over the next 5-10 years, Mercia PR believes that RheEnergise’s HD Hydro storage technology would be a complementary, low carbon solution to its operating portfolio.
Additionally, Mercia PR’s industry partners bring market expertise in energy trading and forecasting, helping RheEnergise to optimise grid-connected energy storage projects.
Note.
- The average size of Mercia PR’s batteries would appear to be 6.5 MW.
- Working on the often-used two-hour duration, that would be a storage capacity of 13 MWh.
- I suspect some of Mercia PR’s sites will be more suitable for lithium-ion batteries and some will be more suitable for RheEnergise’s HD Hydro systems.
- I have witnessed local Nimbys objecting to lithium-ion systems on grounds of the fire risk.
- I am fairly sure, that the National Grid will be able to cope with both lithium-ion batteries and RheEnergise’s HD Hydro systems.
- I suspect Mercia PR’s industry partners, with their market expertise in energy trading and forecasting, could turn a small wind or solar farm into a nice little earner.
This looks to be a good fit between two innovative companies.
RheEnergise To Build First-Of-A-Kind Hydro Storage System
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Power Technology.
This is the sub-heading.
A demonstrator of the company’s long-duration hydro-energy storage system will be constructed at Sibelco’s Devon mine.
These are the first two paragraphs.
UK hydro-energy storage company RheEnergise is to build a first-of-a-kind demonstrator of its long-duration hydro-energy storage system at Sibelco’s mining operations at Cornwood, near Plymouth, Devon. The construction of the demonstrator will start soon, with commissioning scheduled in September.
The power generated by RheEnergise’s HD Hydro demonstrator, which has a peak power production of 500kW, will support Sibelco’s mining operations at times of high energy demand and help the company decarbonise its operations. The Cornwood site produces kaolin, mainly for sanitary ware, ceramics, tiles and industrial applications.
I have some thoughts.
A Short Construction Time
If RheEnergise’s timescale is correct and it is the same in RheEnergise’s original press release, then I can draw the following conclusions.
- Five months is a short construction time.
- I would suspect that the system can be built from readily available components.
- RheEnergise’s HD Hydro system, which uses a fluid with a specific gravity of 2.5 can work with standard pipes and turbines.
I wouldn’t be surprised, that the only difference between RheEnergise’s system and a standard water-based hydro system is the fluid and a few settings on the control system.
It might even be possible to check that the system works by using water as the storage fluid.
But that would of course shorten the testing time.
Could An Existing Pumped Storage System Be Uprated With RheEnergise’s Fluid?
Consider
- There are only a few small pumped hydro systems.
- The RheEnergise system needs to be sealed.
- The storage capacity would be raised by 2.5 times.
It is an interesting idea, but could be possible in some cases.
What Will Be The Storage Capacity Of The Sibelco System?
This is not stated, but typically a battery system has a duration of two hours.
So that would give a capacity of 1 MWh.
Could RheEnergise’s HD Hydro System Back Up A Wind Or Solar Farm?
Consider.
- Batteries are always a good addition to a wind or solar farm, as they stabilise the output.
- A lot would depend on the possible size of the RheEnergise system battery.
- The location of the wind farm is probably important.
An onshore wind farm on top of a hill might be an ideal candidate.
Conclusion
RheEnergise could be installed in a lot of sites.
Coire Glas Exploratory Tunnel 70% Complete
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article in Ground Engineering.
This is the sub-heading.
A tunnel to investigate ground conditions at SSE Renewables’ Coire Glas project to build a pumped hydro scheme in the Scottish Highlands is 70% complete, as wider ground investigations come to an end.
These are the first three paragraphs.
Coire Glas on the shores of Loch Lochy in Great Glen is the first large scale pumped hydro storage scheme to be developed in the UK for more than 40 years.
It would take excess energy from the grid and use it to pump water 500m up a hill from Loch Lochy to a vast reservoir where it would be stored. This will be done through a tailrace tunnel, underground cavern power station, high pressure tunnel and low-pressure headrace tunnel.
SSE Renewables has started exploratory works on the scheme. This has involved building an up to 1km long and 4m wide tunnel to investigate the ground conditions in which the powerhouse will be built.
All the information gathered will be used in the detailed design of the 1,5GW/30 GWh pumped storage system, which is expected to be a £1.5 billion capital investment.
The Wikipedia entry for Coire Glas power station, says this about the current status and completion.
In December 2023, the exploratory tunnel had reached 720m in length.
A final investment decision will depend on UK government assurances about how the regulated electricity market would reward storage schemes. SSE hope to make that £1.5Bn decision in 2024, in which case the scheme could be completed in 2031.
I suspect that as this is one of the largest green energy projects in the UK, that there’ll be a lot of media coverage of the construction of this power station.
Rolls-Royce Supplies mtu Large-Scale Battery Storage To Secure The Latvian National Grid
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Rolls-Royce.
These four bullet points, act as sub-headings.
- Latvia synchronizes its electricity grid with the European grid in 2025
- Large-scale battery storage system from Rolls-Royce ensures stability of the power grid in Latvia
- Transmission system operator AST orders 160MWh mtu EnergyPack
- Facility will be one of the largest battery storage systems in the EU
This is the first paragraph.
Rolls-Royce has received an order from the Latvian transmission system operator Augstsprieguma tikls (AST) to supply an mtu large-scale battery storage system to secure the Latvian power grid. In 2025, Latvia, together with the other Baltic states, will synchronize its energy supply system with the continental European power grid.
Note.
- This is a Rolls-Royce press release, not a Rolls-Royce mtu press release.
- Recently, Rolls-Royce mtu supplied the generators for Redditch power station, which I wrote about in Centrica Completes Work On 20MW Hydrogen-Ready Peaker In Redditch.
- In The Modern Way To Grow Tomatoes, I describe how a Rolls-Royce mtu Combined Heat and Power unit (CHP), is used in the growing of tomatoes.
Could it be that using the Rolls-Royce name prominently, makes sales easier?
The Crews Bracing Themselves For A Rise In Electric Car Fires
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the sub-heading.
Each year, Essex Fire and Rescue Service focuses on one area of “top-up” training for its crews. In recent years, this has included sessions on firefighting at height and managing hazardous materials. This year, a new course is being introduced: How to deal with electric vehicle fires. Why?
These are the first three paragraphs.
Station manager Terry Maher has recently taken on a new role within the fire service.
A hazardous material expert, he is now the service’s lead officer on tackling lithium-ion battery fires.
His new responsibility comes as the number of electric vehicles (EVs) on UK roads hits more than 540,000. And the number is rising fast.
The article certainly worried me.
Most of the views expressed are by a fire officer, who is also a hazard materials expert.
It should be remembered that I have had serious fire training both as a Scout with the London Fire Brigade and a few years later at both Enfield Rolling Mills and at ICI.
These are a few points from the article.
- Dealing with a petrol or diesel car fire would normally take about 30 minutes. With an EV fire we’re looking at four or five hours or longer, if we’ve used water.
- As more and more people use electric vehicles we can expect more and more electric vehicle fires.
- The results of text searches show there were 59 electric vehicle fire references in 2022-23 across England – up from 30 the previous year.
We are dealing with dangerous vehicles and must handle with care.
These are my thoughts.
Car Insurance Rates For Electric Vehicles Will Rise
The worse the risk, the more you will have to pay.
A Full Safety Assessment Should Be Done Before Buying An Electric Vehicle
For instance, I have an integral garage in my house and wouldn’t feel safe at night, if an electric car or bicycle was in there on charge.
I certainly wouldn’t buy an electric car with a plastic body. Although I did own a Lotus Elan for over twenty years.
Conclusion
Everybody, who is thinking of buying an electric car or bicycle, should read the BBC article first.
SeaTwirl And Verlume Join Forces To Drive Decarbonisation Of Offshore Assets
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Swedish energy-tech company SeaTwirl and UK-based energy management and energy storage firm Verlume have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the electrification of offshore assets and decarbonisation of the oil and gas industry.
This is the first two paragraphs.
The MoU will see the two companies identify and pursue potential opportunities for decarbonisation of offshore oil and gas and other associated offshore electrification opportunities using renewable energy, seabed-based energy storage, and intelligent energy management.
SeaTwirl and Verlume plan to develop systems for commercial sale, using combined technologies.
Note.
- This YouTube video introduces SeaTwirl.
- This YouTube video introduces Verlume.
This could be an MoU made in engineering heaven.
Verlume And Wave Power
The last two paragraphs of the article describe another project involving Verlume.
Aberdeen’s intelligent energy management specialists Verlume has developed a GBP 2 million (approximately USD 2.5 million) project linking the Blue X wave energy converter constructed by Mocean Energy with a Halo underwater battery storage system.
The industry-supported project, situated five kilometres east of Orkney Mainland, demonstrates the integration of green technologies to deliver consistent and sustainable low-carbon power and communication to subsea equipment.
Could Verlume, be the missing link that wave power needs?
UK Has Almost 7GW Of Shovel-Ready Pumped Hydro, Says IHA
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Solar Power Portal.
This paragraph fills out the headline.
Former Australian Prime Minister and current president of the International Hydropower Association (IHA) Malcolm Turnbull has penned an open letter to Rishi Sunak stating that the UK has “almost 7GW of shovel-ready pumped storage hydropower projects with over 135GWh storage capacity”.
Note.
- At 7 GW, it would take 19.2 hours to run out of water.
- Currently, we have about 3GW/24GWh of pumped storage hydro.
- At the end of 2022, we had just 2.4GW/2.6GWh of connected battery storage sites.
It looks like we should start digging.
SSE Renewables Partners With Fluence And OCU Energy To Deliver Its Battery Storage Project At Fiddler’s Ferry
The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from SSE Renewables.
This is the sub-heading.
*The 150MW / 300MWh battery energy storage system will be built on the site of the former SSE-owned coal fired power station*
These four paragraphs give full details of the project.
SSE Renewables has announced its principal contractor and battery supplier for its 150MW battery storage project at Fiddler’s Ferry, Warrington.
OCU Energy – who are Stockport-based and are currently working with SSE Renewables on its Ferrybridge battery storage project – will be the principal contractor at Fiddler’s Ferry.
Fluence, a global leader in energy storage technology, digital solutions and services, has been selected as the supplier of the battery-based energy storage system.
Construction is set to begin at the site in the coming weeks after SSE Renewables took a final investment decision back in December 2023.
Note.
- This will be a two-hour battery.
- Good to see a press release with both battery output and battery capacity shown in the appropriate units.
It’s also good to see, SSE adding to the fleet of the UK’s battery storage.
This page on the SSE Renewables web site is entitled About Solar And Battery.
This is the sub-heading.
SSE Renewables is progressing a 1.2GW secured pipeline of utility-scale solar and battery projects across the UK and Ireland and a further 1.3GW of other prospective sites under development. These assets complement SSE’s existing portfolio of other low carbon infrastructure such as wind and hydro.
This is the first paragraph.
Our solar projects will be capable of harnessing the abundant power of the sun to bring renewable power onto the grid, while our battery projects will be able to store renewable power when the sun doesn’t shine or the wind doesn’t blow. The delivery of these projects is part of our commitment to a net zero transition.
What follows is a job advert.
As an electrical and control engineer, who has enjoyed over fifty years exploring the mathematics of big engineering projects, I don’t regret the choice of career I made.
National Gas To Trial Gravitricity’s H2 Storage Solution
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on The Engineer.
This is the sub-heading.
Gravitricity’s H2FlexiStore system for underground hydrogen storage could see a pilot built in 2025 after National Gas secured Ofgem funding to explore the technology.
There is then a graphic, which gives a good visual explanation.
The patented system uses lined geological shafts to store up to 100 tonnes of pressurised hydrogen at 220 bar, equivalent to about 3.33GWh of energy. Unlike natural storage such as salt caverns and disused gas fields, the shafts can be sited anywhere. Gravitricity has previously stated its preference for co-locating the storage near to renewable generation and potential major consumers of hydrogen such as heavy industry.
I can see that this simple system can have a lot of diverse uses.
In Centrica Completes Work On 20MW Hydrogen-Ready Peaker In Redditch, I talked about how Centrica had refurbished a decommissioned peaker plant.
One of these stores would keep a 20 MW peaker plant running for a week.
It would also work well with a HiiROC hydrogen system.
The Anonymous Widower 