Statkraft has successfully participated in the largest dispatch to date of power from battery storage into Ireland’s electricity market.
During the early evening of 14 July when energy margins were tightest, EirGrid called on Statkraft to leverage its portfolio of energy storage projects under management, to provide over 60MWh of energy across two hours, which is equivalent to powering over 60,000 households during the evening peak period.
This was then followed by an unplanned dispatch of power from a smaller number of storage units during the evening peak on 18 July, when the system experienced tight margins again in conditions that led to an amber alert during the warm weather.
Statkraft manages nearly 40% of the overall storage capacity operating on the island on behalf of asset owners, which is optimised by Statkraft’s proprietary automated trading optimisation platform, Unity.
Nick Heyward, Statkraft’s Head of UK Storage – Markets, said: “It is a welcome development to see larger amounts of storage being dispatched to support Ireland’s electricity market at critical times.
“I am delighted that Statkraft was able to support such a significant demonstration of battery storage, and we look forward to seeing more of our customers’ assets contribute during the upcoming winter.
“However, there is more to do before storage assets can participate more actively in wholesale markets, not just at times of system stress, to further support the low-carbon transition and to reduce overall costs for consumers. We look forward to working further with EirGrid and our customers in this area.”