Vattenfall and partners have inaugurated an energy storage demonstration facility at the five-turbine Curslack wind farm near Hamburg in Germany.
The 720kW lithium-ion battery plant has been built in conjunction with the Competence Center for Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency (CC4E) of the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences and Nordex Group.
It is part of the Norddeutsche EnergieWende (New 4.0) energy transformation project for northern Germany and aims to boost research into system integration of renewable energies.
Twenty-four batteries featuring BMW technology make up the Hamburg unit, which is one of 25 demonstration projects in the New 4.0 initiative.
Vattenfall, Nordex and CC4E are also planning to design models for system services through the development of control algorithms and parameters.
Vattenfall Innovation managing director Oliver Weinmann said: “With this plant, we are helping to ease the pressure on electricity grids in northern Germany and taking a step forward in the availability of non-fossil fuels.
“Using the findings from this project, we can develop further intelligent storage solutions for wind farms with the aim of marketing the energy from wind farms to optimum effect even under future conditions.”
Nordex Europe division chief executive Ilya Hartmann said: “The New 4.0 project aims to convert the northern German states of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein to green electricity in full in 2035.
“As the only wind turbine manufacturer involved, the Nordex Group has the opportunity here to gain a practical insight into the grid requirements of the future and to contribute its expertise and the product characteristics of its turbines to the development process.
“The Curslack storage power plant provides the blueprint for a flexible response to a wide variety of customer requirements with regard to the integration of storage facilities in wind farm projects and provides practical proof that this is viable.”
Vattenfall has a 22MW battery storage project at the Pen y Cymoedd wind farm in Wales (pictured).