Big battery storage project planned for Offaly
A BATTERY storage system will be built in east Offaly which will be capable of delivering 20MW of electricity for four hours.
Renewable energy company Statkraft has announced that it will co-locate the battery energy storage system (BESS) at Cushaling near Clonbullogue with the nine-turbine wind farm it is constructing.
Statkraft says the battery facility will be Ireland's first four-hour grid-scale BESS. It will be supplied by Fluence, a global market leader in utility-scale energy storage solutions and services.
The battery project will enable energy from renewable sources to be stored during times of low demand, and Statkraft said that limits the need for costly curtailment. The energy will then be dispatched at time of peak electricity demand.
It will also support EirGrid to ensure network stability by delivering fast-acting system services as more non-synchronous renewable generation comes online. In addition, by participating in the capacity market, the project will have a positive impact on energy security in Ireland.
Statkraft said the battery-based energy storage system is designed to provide 20MW for up to four hours while most grid-scale batteries currently deployed in Ireland range from 30 minutes to two hours of energy storage capacity. The longer the duration of battery energy storage capacity, the more benefits it can offer.
Battery storage technology can offer unique benefits to the grid by reducing reliance on fossil fuels, cutting the cost to consumers by maximising renewable energy utilisation on the grid and provide fast and flexible energy capacity to stabilise and support the grid, thereby preventing blackouts.
Construction of the battery project is expected to be completed by late 2024.
Kevin O’Donovan, managing director of Statkraft Ireland, said: “It’s very exciting to add another battery project to our growing portfolio of storage projects. The longer-duration storage capability of this project shows that Statkraft continues to innovate and embrace advancement in battery technology. We are also delighted to combine this project with our Cushaling Wind Farm which we are currently constructing on the same site.”
Brian Perusse, managing director of Fluence Energy Ireland Ltd, commented: “The continuous advancements in energy storage technology are astounding and the technology is well positioned to serve both flexibility and peak capacity needs in the market. We are very pleased to collaborate with Statkraft, our long-standing customer, on bringing the first four-hour duration battery-based energy storage system to the Irish market.”
The Cushaling Battery is the third battery to be developed by Statkraft in Ireland. The company’s other two batteries, also delivered by Fluence, Kilathmoy in 2020, and Kelwin-2 in 2021, are located in Co Kerry.
Eight of the Cushaling Wind Farm turbines are in Offaly and one is across the county boundary in Kildare.
The wind farm will use Vestas turbines which will have a tip height of 185 metres and will have a capacity of up to 6.2MW each, bringing the total potential electricity output to nearly 56MW.
Statkraft is also currently building the 12-turbine Moanvane Wind Farm on agricultural land between the villages of Geashill, Cloneygowan and Walsh Island.
The same company has a nine-turbine project near Cloghan.
Statkraft is a leading company in hydropower internationally and Europe’s largest generator of renewable energy. The group produces hydropower, wind power, solar power, gas-fired power and supplies district heating.