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Ah, batteries – we have always had a love-hate relationship with them!

“Giant Batteries Are Transforming the Way the U.S. Uses Electricity

They’re delivering solar power after dark in California and helping to stabilize grids in other states. And the technology is expanding rapidly…

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/05/07/climate/battery-electricity-solar-california-texas.html?searchResultPosition=1

On the one hand, as they power cherished toys, batteries bring pure joy to children. Elderly adults' hearts are filled with nostalgia as batteries enable them to listen closely to familiar melodies on their transistor radios.  On the other hand, a dead car battery can disrupt a family's plans, leading to a whirlwind of frustration.  Ah, those are enchanting times from another world! 

There are also heart-stopping moments when the light bulb starts to flicker, casting ominous shadows and plunging us into unexpected darkness.  The desperate cries echo: "Mum, the lights are out!" or "Where's the torch?" or "Dad, we can't just buy another fridge to keep the lights on!" 

Explaining the latest electrical outburst to consumers, especially regarding power factors, can be challenging.  After all, an innocent question about a big refrigerator's power consumption could be the key!  Large batteries are the unsung heroes of the renewable energy revolution, transforming the energy sector and steering it towards greener practices. 

The rapidly expanding battery sector is primarily associated with electric vehicles.  However, large-scale energy storage solutions significantly contribute to its growth.  The market for "powerhouses", which can provide power to towns and cities, more than doubled last year. 

Battery storage is crucial for decarbonising the energy sector, as it facilitates the integration of renewable energy sources and reduces dependence on fossil fuels. Unfortunately, this remarkable technology still struggles to get the media attention it deserves, leaving many unaware of its importance in our modern world.  Batteries help balance supply and demand by storing surplus energy produced during low-demand periods and releasing it during peak times.  This process helps stabilise the grid and prevent blackouts.  Additionally, batteries facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, which are not always available.  By storing excess energy generated during sunny or windy conditions, batteries ensure that this energy can be utilised even during periods of low production.  Additionally, batteries enhance grid stability and reliability by providing essential services, such as frequency regulation and voltage support, meaning we can forget about flickering bulbs. 

One of the vital affordable advantages of battery storage systems is their versatility.  They can be implemented at various scales, ranging from small residential units to extensive grid-scale facilities, making them adaptable to diverse requirements.  This adaptability reassures us that renewable energy solutions can be flexible and scalable to meet our energy needs.

While wind and solar energy costs have significantly decreased over the past decade, the challenge remains in managing their inconsistent supply—ensuring power availability when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing.  Batteries offer a viable solution by efficiently storing and delivering energy.  As the installation of wind turbines and solar panels increases, particularly in China, the demand for energy storage is set to increase.  In Germany, Fluence Energy, in partnership with TransnetBW, is developing the Netzbooster project.  The initiative will become the world's largest battery-based energy storage-as-transmission project and is anticipated to be completed by 2025. 

India is also aggressively developing energy storage technologies in its electric system, a crucial aspect of the emerging affordable climate and energy market.  This global effort makes us feel part of a collective movement towards a sustainable future. 

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https://x.com/Germantoroghio/status/1830536807383027908

Australia: Energy storage to mitigate fears over grid reliability from 2027

Authored by George Heynes, the article dated August 30, 2024, covers Grid Scale, Connected Technologies, and Market Analysis in Asia & Oceania, including Southeast Asia & Oceania.

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has said that despite concerns about grid reliability in 2027-28, following the closure of the 2.8GWh Eraring coal-fired power station in New South Wales, energy storage will help alleviate the pressure.

Detailed within its 2024 Electricity Statement of Opportunities (ESOO) report, which provides a 10-year outlook of investment requirements to maintain reliability for the National Electricity Market (NEM), energy storage projects such as the 1.6GWh Orana BESS and the 2.2GWh Richmond Valley BESS, alongside the HumeLink transmission project, will partially mitigate some of the risk.

The report also details that 3.9GW/13.5GWh of BESS has been connected to the NEM in the past 12 months, trumping other technologies. Large-scale solar PV, on the other hand, saw 1.2GW connected.

In early 2022, Origin Energy, the power station’s owner, said it would be retiring the coal-fired power plant in 2025, yet in May 2024, the New South Wales government controversially extended this by an additional two years to “guarantee a maximum of electricity supply”. The new expected closure date is scheduled for August 2027.

At the time, AEMO stated that, without Eraring, New South Wales would face energy reliability risks from 2025, instead of the predicted 2027-2028 forecast now. As such, the state government is subsidising the power station to ensure it can remain operational.

Although the decision remains controversial, global market research organisation Cornwall Insight revealed that extending Eraring’s service will cut New South Wales’ power prices by 44%, dropping from a predicted AU$153/MWh (US$104/MWh) to AU$86/MWh in 2026. However, question marks remain over the power station’s use and impact on New South Wales and Australia’s climate goals.

It is worth noting that Origin Energy is in the process of developing two BESS at Eraring. Stage 1 of the project saw a 460MW/1073MWh 2-hour duration BESS being constructed, with a new additional 240MW/1030MWh grid-forming BESS having been approved late last month (25 July).