NextEnergy Solar Fund To Shift To Energy Storage And Divest Solar in Strategic Overhaul
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the Solar Power Portal.
This is the sub-heading.
As part of the reset, NextEnergy said it will increase its energy storage exposure up to 30% of its gross asset value, a significant increase on its current rate of 10%.
These two paragraphs give more of their reasoning.
NextEnergy Solar Fund has completed a “strategic reset” of its investment strategy which will see it focus on energy storage assets and increase project sales.
As part of the reset, NextEnergy said it will increase its energy storage exposure up to 30% of its gross asset value, a significant increase on its current rate of 10%. The company said the shift would “enhance the Company’s existing stable revenues generated by its operational solar assets and support future revenues”.
In Is Sumitomo Heavy Industries Highview Power Energy Storage System On Line At Hiroshima?, I describe a power supply system developed by Sumitomo Heavy Industries to supply a stable 5 MW to a LNG Terminal, using these components.
- A Cold Source
- Solar Panels
- A 5 MW/20 MWh Highview Power liquid-air CRYObattery.
Do Sumitomo Heavy Industries believe that a combination of energy and/or battery sources working together gives the quality of stable power, that is needed by today’s modern factories, facilities and buildings?
As a Graduate Control Engineer, I very much believe stable power supplies are a good thing and Sumitomo Heavy Industries obviously feel that Highview Power’s liquid air CRYObatteries are a good way to provide them.
The adding of a battery into a solar-powered renewable power supply, would surely, increase the amount of batteries that NextEnergy were financing.
How Much Electricity Do You Need To Charge A Garage Full Of Electric Buses?
Consider.
- A couple of years ago, I had a long discussion and a few beers with three managers of bus garages.
- In First Bus To Launch 1MW BESS Unit In Hampshire, Aberdeen To Follow, I talk about a specialist battery to charge buses.
- In Is Sumitomo Heavy Industries Highview Power Energy Storage System On line At Hiroshima?, I talk about an efficient, renewable power supply for an LNG Terminal.
I asked Google AI the question in the title of this post and received this comprehensive answer.
Charging a full garage of electric buses requires massive amounts of electricity, with typical, non-optimized charging for a 100-bus depot capable of drawing nearly 10 megawatts (MW) of power. To put this into perspective, a 100-bus depot might require roughly 150 Megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy to recharge over an eight-hour night.
Key Factors and Energy Requirements
Energy Consumption per Bus: A typical electric bus has a battery capacity between 300-500 kWh. Energy consumption averages around 1.11 to 1.35 kWh/km, with higher consumption in winter or with heavy A/C use.
Total Depot Power: For a 100-bus depot, power requirements can reach 10 MW, equivalent to the power output of a small hydroelectric dam.
Optimal Charging: Using smart charging, a 100-bus depot can reduce its peak demand to around 4 MW.
Daily Usage: A single, large electric bus can consume up to 500 kWh per day, with daily demand ranging from 189 to 231 kWh for typical operations.
Infrastructure and Grid Considerations
Charging Infrastructure: Depots often use 40 kW to 250 kW chargers, with 100 kW common for overnight charging.
Grid Capacity: A 34-bus depot might require a new 1000kVA transformer to handle the load.
Voltage: 11,000 volts may be required to power new substations, which are then stepped down to 400 volts for charging.
Operational Factors Affecting Energy Need
Heating and Cooling: Cold weather can increase energy consumption by up to 45% (due to electric heating).
Driving Style: Inefficient driving can increase energy consumption by 0.24 kWh/km above average.
Regenerative Braking: This can recover 37–40% of energy for 40-60 ft buses.
Cost Implications
Energy Bills: A 100-bus depot can incur monthly energy bills between $112,000 and $515,000 without optimization.
Cost Savings: Electric buses are generally cheaper to fuel, costing ~£0.21/mile compared to £0.49/mile for diesel.
Could A System Based On The Sumitomo/Highview Power System At Hiroshima Charge Electric Buses?
The optimal charging figure for a 100-bus garage would appear to be in the region of 4-5 MW.
In Is Sumitomo Heavy Industries Highview Power Energy Storage System On line At Hiroshima?, I state, that it looks like Highview Power’s CRYOBattery™ at the heart of the system has a capacity of 5 MW/20 MWh.
I also state in the post, that the Hiroshima facility is designed to support grid stability and enhance renewable energy integration.
Does this all mean that if you can install enough solar panels on the roof of the garage or perhaps a wind turbine nearby, that you can have buses substantially powered by the sun and wind.
Chicago would just love wind-powered buses!
Could A Highview Power CRYOBattery Provide Backup Power For A Large Data Centre?
I asked Google AI how much power does a data centre need and got this answer.
The power requirements for an average data center vary greatly depending on its size and purpose, ranging from 1-5 MW for small facilities to 20-100 MW or more for large hyperscale centers. Small data centers, typically with 500-2,000 servers, might need 1-5 MW of power, while large or hyperscale data centers, housing tens of thousands of servers, can consume 20-100 MW or even more.
As Highview Power are currently building four 200 MW/2.5 GWh CRYOBatteries for the UK, I am fairly sure the answer is in the affirmative.
UK Wind Risks ‘Exponentially Rising’ Curtailment Without Energy Storage
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Recharge.
This is the sub-heading.
UK liquid battery pioneer Highview Power is working with renewable energy giant Orsted on plan to store excess power from its Hornsea offshore wind projects
This is the introductory paragraph.
The UK wind sector faces “exponentially” increasing curtailment of assets without a rapid rollout of energy storage, says the chief of liquid battery pioneer Highview Power, which is working with Orsted on a project to store excess offshore wind power.
The article also states that according to Octopus Energy, this cost could have been as high as a billion pounds last year.
In Grid Powers Up With One Of Europe’s Biggest Battery Storage Sites, I described how Ørsted were planning to build a large BESS near the Swardeston substation in Norfolk, where the Hornsea 3 wind farm will connect to the grid.
Have Ørsted decided to put a Highview Power battery on the Swardeston site, as it can be a bigger battery, as Highview Power talk about 200MW/2.5GWh capacity batteries on the projects page of the web site?
Highview also say this about co-operation with Ørsted on that page.
Highview Power and Ørsted’s joint study shows that the co-location of LAES with Ørsted’s offshore wind offers a step forward in reducing wind curtailment, and helping to move to a more flexible, resilient zero carbon grid.
The words are accompanied by pictures of a smart gas storage site, which shows four of the largest tanks, that might be used to store LNG.
In Could A Highview Power CRYOBattery Use A LNG Tank For Liquid Air Storage?, I estimated that one of the largest LNG tanks could hold about a GWh of energy.
So Highview Power’s visualisation on their project page would be a 4 GWh battery.
.
Carlton Power Secures Planning Consent For World’s Largest Battery Energy Storage Scheme
The title of this post, is the same as that of this news story from Carlton Power.
This is the sub-heading.
£750m 1GW Battery Project To Be Built At Carlton Power’s Trafford Low Carbon Energy Park In Greater Manchester
These three paragraphs outline the project.
Carlton Power, the UK independent energy infrastructure development company, has secured planning permission for the world’s largest battery energy storage scheme (BESS), a 1GW (1040MW / 2080MWh) project located at the Trafford Low Carbon Energy Park in Greater Manchester. The £750m BESS scheme will strengthen the security and resilience of the energy system in the North West of England, and support the energy transition and the growth of renewable power generation in the region.
Planning permission for the BESS was granted by Trafford Council, the local planning authority.
Subject to a final investment decision, construction of the battery storage scheme is expected to begin in the first quarter of next year (2024) with it entering commercial operation in the final quarter of 2025. Carlton Power is in advanced talks with companies to finance, build and operate the Trafford BESS.
I have a few thoughts.
It’s A Monster
This Wikipedia entry, lists the World’s Largest Grid Batteries.
- The current largest is Vistra Moss Landing battery in the United States, which has a capacity of 1600 MWh and an output of 400 MW.
- The Trafford BESS will have a capacity of 2080 MWh and an output of 1040 MW.
By both measures the Trafford BESS is larger.
Where Will It Get The Energy?
Consider.
- In Liverpool and Morecambe Bays there is over 5 GW of offshore wind farms either operational, under construction or planned.
- Carrington gas-fired power station has a capacity of 884 MW.
- The Western HVDC Link is a 2250 MW link between Scotland and Connah’s Quay in North Wales.
- I wrote about the proposed Mersey Barrage in Mersey Tidal Project And Where It Is Up To Now.
I can see enough renewable energy being generated to replace Carrington gas-fired power station.
Who Will Finance, Build And Operate The Trafford BESS?
There are two major Energy Storage Funds in the UK.
- Gore Street with 27 projects totalling 1.17 GW.
- Gresham House with 17 projects totalling 425 MW.
Note.
- There are other smaller funds.
- The figures given are cumulative outputs for the portfolios.
- Sourcing the large number of batteries might be a problem.
- As the maths of these batteries are now well-known, I would expect that finance shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
- Local companies like Liverpool Victoria or Peel Holdings could even take a position.
A large American contractor backed by US money could swallow the whole project.
That happened with North Sea oil and gas in the last century.
Is Highview Power’s CRYOBattery Still Planned?
Carlton Power’s news story says this about Highview Power’s plans.
In addition to Carlton Power’s two projects, Highview Power Storage Inc. is planning to build and operate the world’s first commercial liquid air storage system – a £250m 250MWh long duration, cryogenic energy storage system – on the Trafford Low Carbon Energy Park, which was until 1991 the site of the Carrington coal-fired power station. The Low Carbon Energy Park is located close to Manchester Ship Canal and the £750m Carrington flexible gas-fired power station which entered operation in 2016.
It seems that the CRYOBattery is still planned.
Conclusion
Manchester is getting a powerful zero-carbon hub.
Wind Power For 1.2m Homes Is Wasted Because Of Lack Of Storage
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Daily Telegraph.
These two paragraphs outline what happened.
Enough wind power to supply 1.2m homes a day was wasted over winter because there is no capacity to store extra energy generated on gusty days, according to new research.
National Grid’s electricity system operator asked wind turbines which were expected to generate about 1.35 terawatt-hours of electricity between October and January to switch off instead because they were not needed to meet demand at the time, according to the consultancy Stonehaven.
The problem has been flagged up by Rupert Pearce of Highview Power, who in my view could have a solution with their CRYOBatteries.
Pearce is quoted as saying this.
Renewable energy storage is essential to powering a cleaner, cheaper, always-on Britain.
By capturing and storing excess renewable energy, which is now the UK’s cheapest, most secure and most abundant form of energy, we can power Britain’s homes and businesses with renewable green energy, taking millions of tonnes of carbon out of the atmosphere and ending a culture of reliance on expensive foreign imports.
He’s too bloody right! And my experience of mathematical modelling large vessels at ICI in the 1970s, says that Highview Power have one of the sensible solutions to large scale energy storage.
Cryogenic Energy Plan Could Bring Jobs Boost To Largs
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Largs and Millport Weekly News.
These paragraphs outline the project.
Proposals for a ground-breaking cryogenic energy storage system at Hunterston Marine Construction Yard have been unveiled..
The proposed development will generate 49.9MW of electricity – and is expected to create around ten jobs.
The cryogenic energy storage system comprises three main processes: a charging system, an energy store, and power recovery.
It turns ambient air into liquid, stores the liquid air in tanks and, when needed, expands the liquid air into a gas which generates electricity.
Highview Power are mentioned as behind the project.
As the report is dated the 21st if August 2021, is this another of Highview Power’s might-have-been projects?
UK Group Plans First Large-Scale Liquid Air Energy Storage Plant
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the FT.
This is the first paragraph.
Highview Power is attempting to raise £400mn to fund project with capacity to supply 600,000 homes.
Note.
- This battery will have an output of 30 MW and a storage capacity of 300 MWh.
- The battery will be built at Carrington, near Manchester.
- Highview Power hope it will be opened by the end of 2024.
- It appears that the £400 million will also be used to start the engineering for another four batteries.
The article gives a detailed history of the company.
Energy Storage Will Deliver ‘Tens Of Billions Of Pounds A Year’
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Energy Live News.
This is the first paragraph.
This week’s Net Hero Podcast delves into how energy storage is being underappreciated as a key to cutting costs on our energy bills.
I have listened to the half-hour podcast and it is a fascinating interview with Rupert Pearce, who is the CEO of Highview Power.
He talks about.
- Green stability services
- Power stations in a box
- Vehicle-to-grid storage
- How Highview Power is location agnostic.
- And lots of other topics.
He also talks about the twenty Highview Power CRYOBatteries located around the country and financed traditionally, as there is money to be made.
Listen to what he has to say!
Conclusion
Rupert Pearce is a man with vision. And I like what he says!
The Anonymous Widower 