Energy Storage
Jan 11 – Kilkenny County Council is processing an application Greener Ideas, a joint venture set up in 2009 between Bord Gáis Energy and Mountside Properties,for the construction of a 100MW battery energy storage system. Initially the project partners intended to develop an open-cycle gas turbines power plant on the site which is now listed for the battery project.
Commenting on the UK Government’s decision to de-rate battery storage ahead of the Capacity Market auction in February next year, UK Power Reserve (UKPR) said it “accepts and understands” this move while remaining confident about the future of battery storage in Britain. UKPR also underlined its goal to bring 120MW of battery storage online before 2020.
Controversy is mounting in Australia over whether the lifetime of AGL Energy’s 2,051-MW Liddell power plant should be extended – as proposed by the Turnbull government – even though the operator wants to shut down the “costly and unreliable” unit in 2022. A new report finds the government’s stipulated lifetime extension would cost around $3.6 billion over five years, compared to $2.2 billion for a combination of wind power, demand side-response and energy efficiency measures.
ITM Power has secured funding from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to deploy large scale Power-to-Gas energy storage on the Northern Gas Networks’ (NGN) distribution grid. In a subsequent study, both partners will examine the potential and cost-effectiveness of such storage solutions, starting from the 50 MWh range.
GEMS software from Greensmith Energy, a Wärtsilä company, will be utilized to help realise 2.4 MW/2.4MWh energy storage system test bed that CW Group is realising on behalf of Singapore's Energy Market Authority (EMA) and SP Group, a leading energy utility in Asia Pacific. The facility is due to be fully operational during the latter part of 2018.
Seeking to complement fossil power plants, South Australia has invited bids from investors in energy storage and bioenergy to share a $150 million fund. The tender is part of the government's wider $550 million energy plan that will see the world’s largest battery being built, and additional flexible gas power capacity. Applications for the $150 million fund close on September 28.
Aug 14 – GE Renewable Energy has booked a turnkey contract with Star Pumped Storage Ltd for the 344 MW Kokhav Hayarden hydro pumped storage station, the second to be installed in Israel. GE Renewable Energy is responsible for the design, manufacture, supply and installation of all electro-mechanical and hydro-mechanical equipment as well as complete balance of plant for the two 172 MW pumped-storage units. The project will be executed by a consortium led by Chinese EPC SinoHydro.
June 29 – Following this week’s working meeting in Belgrade between Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller and Dusan Bajatovic, director general of Srbijagas, the Gazprom head has signed a roadmap with Serbia’s Minister of Mining and Energy, Aleksandar Antic on how to jointly expand the Serbian gas transmission system. The expansion of the Banatski Dvor underground gas storage facility in Northern Serbia was also discussed. A memorandum, signed early June 2017, stipulates that the UGS facility's capacities will be increased from 450 to 750 million cubic meters. Serbia is a transit country for Russian pipeline gas exports which first reach Turkey and then get transported onwards to Austria and Western Europe.
Though Centrica CEO Ian Conn told the BBC this morning that closure of its 3.4 Bcm Rough gas storage facility will not destabilize Britain’s gas supply – given the possibility to import LNG and source gas from Norway and the EU through several interconnectors – some analysts see it differently. Commenting on Centrica’s move, Wood Mackenzie analyst Graham Freedman said the decision not reopen Rough storage comes as “no surprise” and makes “good commercial sense” for Centrica. However, he believes the implications on the UK's future security of gas supply “will no doubt lead to a UK Government review of its position, particularly in light of current Brexit negotiations.”
June 9 – Car manufacturer Renault-Nissan is finalising plans to build a 100-MW power storage plant in Europe, based on disused and recycled car batteries. Similar to rival Tesla’s electricity storage arm, the latest move of Renault-Nissan indicates the company’s aspiration to cultivate a second-hand battery market. The projected power storage facility, if built, would have enough capacity to meet the electricity needs of 120,000 homes. The carmaker confirmed the news, stating “We're working with The Mobility House on several programs including a major energy storage project that is currently still in the study phase.”
Utility-scale capacity provided by various energy storage technologies and renewables beyond wind, solar and hydro, collectively accounted for 4% of the electricity generating capacity in the United States in 2016. Latest EIA figures shows a small, but growing trend towards demand-side response – vital tools for balancing electricity markets the United States, and elsewhere.
Italy’s state-owned utility Enel has bought the Tynemouth stand-alone battery storage project in the North East of England from Element Power for approximately 20 million euros. The construction-ready project is an “investment opportunity,” according to Enel said, as it is supported by a 4-year Enhanced Frequency Response (EFR) contract to provide grid balancing services.
May 11 – Advanced energy storage systems market is estimated to be worth $15.96 billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of 4.4% during the forecast period, according to MarketsandMarket estimates. Technologies included pumped hydro energy storage as well as battery power storage. The dominant manufacturers – such as Toshiba, ABB, Siemens, Voith, Alstom and Dominion Energy – are trying to penetrate developing economies to grab a bigger market share.
Worldwide markets for battery energy storage systems (BESS) are expected to grow exponentially due to its grid, generation, and consumer-side applications – reaching more than 14 GW by 2020, up from about 1.5 GW in 2015, according to GlobalData analysis. The United States is leading the BESS market followed by Japan, Germany and China.
News in Brief
Growing production puts a lid on oil price
June 18 – Rising crude oil production – driven by OPEC, Russia and the United States – will limit price rises for global crude oil benchmarks Brent and West Texas Intermediate (WTI), which impacts long-term natural gas prices. In the June Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), US government analysts expect the Brent crude oil price will average $68 per barrel in the third quarter of 2021, fall to $64/bbl in the fourth quarter and decline further to average $60/bbl in 2022.
CPH2 to install 1 MW electrolyser in Belfast
June 16 – Clean Power Hydrogen (CPH2), together with B9 Energy, has won an order from Northern Ireland Water for a MFE220 1-MW membrane-free electrolyser via its main contractor LaganMEICA. Oxygen, generally regarded as a by-product of hydrogen production is used to more efficiently treat wastewater at NI Water’s Belfast plant. Due to be installed by September this year, the MFE220 electrolyser will produce up to 451 kilograms of hydrogen and up to 3609 kg of medical-grade oxygen per day.
MTU subsidiaries to bear Rolls-Royce brand name
June 15 – As of today, Rolls-Royce's Power Systems has implemented a new brand architecture for its five MTU subsidiaries. MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH, for example, will become Rolls-Royce Solutions GmbH. German subsidiaries in Augsburg and Ruhstorf, as well as regional companies in America and Asia will be renamed with geographical references. All others will be rebranded by the end of September 2021.
KBC adopts BakerHughes AI simulation
June 11 – Yokogawa Electric subsidiary KBC will deploy artificial intelligence (AI) technology from the BakerHughesC3.ai (BHC3) alliance to better simulate its oil and gas processes. The AI solution will continuously update physics-based simulations through a flexible modelling, scalable to any industry. KBP anticipates customers’ improved will yield more than $0.65 per barrel.
OneSubsea selects Siemens sensors for deepwater project in Brazil
June 10 – Houston-based OneSubsea has selected Siemens Energy to provide pressure and temperature sensors for the subsea production system for the Bacalhau oil and gas condensate field in Brazil’s Santos basin. The sensors will provide monitoring data for the production system on the seabed at a water depth of 6,726 feet. Installation and commissioning of the equipment is slated for 2022 and 2024.
Wärtsilä to service Malta power plant
June 9 – Wärtsilä has signed a second long-term service agreement renewal for the Delimara Power Plant 3 (D3) in Malta. The accord covers four 50DF dual-fuel engines and four 50SG gas engines. The flexible Delimara plant is vital to ensure stability of power supply for Malta’s island grid.
BV launches digital simulation tool
June 8 – Classification society Bureau Veritas (BV) has launched Opera, its new digital simulation tool for testing and certifying floating power units. The integrated modelling can inspect all components, e.g. those of a floating wind turbine, from mooring systems to blades.
Linde selected to build Russian GPP
June 7 – Linde and Renaissance Heavy Industries have been contracted by Gazprom to carry out the design works, equipment supplies, construction, and commissioning of gas processing plant (GPP) and off-site facilities at the Gas Processing Complex near Ust-Luga. The consortium intends to start construction this June.
Start-up of Tema LNG delayed
June 4 – Ghana sees LNG as a “relatively quick and inexpensive way” to meet growing gas demand for power generation but country’s aspirations to become sub-Saharan Africa's first LNG importer is being delayed to later in June. The commissioning cargo was meant to arrive at Ghana’s new Tema LNG terminal by the end of May, but our data indicates the FSU Torman II is still at Singapore’s Sembawang shipyard.
ACWA sources biofuel to power tourism
June 3 – Saudi developer, investor and operator ACWA Power has teamed up with the Gulf’s largest biofuel producer Neutral Fuels to supply green energy for Saudi Arabia’s most ambitious regenerative tourism project on the Red Sea coast.
CNE sets up Houston offices
June 2 – Carbon Neutral Energy (CNE) is setting up in Houston due to the huge demand for mobile energy storage systems to mitigate the risk of emergencies like the Texas blackout earlier this year. CNE raised $420 million funding in the UK and is now seeking to strengthen its foothold in the US.
AEG equips Swedish hydrogen plant
June 1 – Amsterdam-based AEG Power Solutions has supplied components for a high-pressure electrolysis process at a pilot plant, built by Hydrogen Pro on behalf of the metal research institute Swerim. The electrolysis process selected by Swerim is an alkaline electrolyser with a high level of dynamics driven by Thyrobox DC2, industrial DC power supply.
Li-ion batteries lose their lead
May 31 – Li-ion batteries have dominated the energy storage field, but are expected to lose their leading role in stationary applications. According to IDTechEx findings, Redox flow batteries are gaining traction and likely to overtake the installed Li-ion battery energy capacity before the end of 2030.
Kuwait Petroleum supports Jenbacher S engine oil
May 21 – The Austrian engine maker INNIO and Q8Oils, part of Kuwait Petroleum, have launched the Jenbacher S Oil 40 gas engine oil designed to lubricate engines that run on biogas and landfill gas. The new product is based on INNIO’s high-performing oil for stationary gas engines and provides very long drain intervals, reduces oil consumption and extends oil filter life.
J320 engine powers pasta factory
May 19 – Clarke Energy and INNIO have commissioned a Jenbacher gas engine to power a new Pasta factory in Cameroon. The gas-fuelled J320 engine installed is now delivering a resilient on-site power supply to the manufacturing facility, situated in the town of Douala.
Magma delivers composite riser pipe to HWCG
May 17 – Houston-based Magma Global has delivered the world’s first high-pressure composite riser pipe to HWCG’s gas storage location on the U.S Gulf Coast. HWCG is one of two deepwater oil and gas emergency response consortiums, set up after the Macondo blowout in 2010. It provides a capping stack within 7-14 days and the restart of contingent hydrocarbon flow and capture operations within 18 days of an incident
SynCraft orders J412 engines for biomass plant
May 14 – INNIO Jenbacher has received orders to supply two J412 gas engines, with 500 kW electrical output, for SynCraft biomass power plants in Austria. Each year the two units will process 6,000 metric tons of residual wood into 7,000,000 kWh of renewable power and 10,000,000 kWh of process heat.
