Acciona Energia has started up a hybrid wind-storage plant in Navarre of northern Spain. Located next to an experimental wind farm in Barasoain, the plant will use battery storage solutions that can be applied to commercial wind farms, explains Acciona.
The plant is equipped with a storage system consisting of two batteries located in separate containers: one fast-response 1 MW/0.39 MWh power battery that can maintain 1 MW of power for 20 minutes and a slower-response battery with a greater autonomy of 0.7 MW/0.7 MWh that can maintain 0.7 MW for 1 hour.
Both batteries, using Li-ion Samsung SDI technology, are connected to a 3 MW AW116/3000 wind turbine with Acciona Windpower (Nordex Group) technology. The batteries will store energy produced by the wind turbine when required. The turbine is one of five that make up the Barasoain Experimental Wind Farm, which the company has operated since 2013.
The project has received funding from the European Regional Development Fund, which manages the Spanish Centre for Industrial Development.
Acciona has also developed simulation software that will be used in the plant, for which it has been awarded the “Eolo Innovation” prize by the Spanish Wind Energy Association.
With these projects, Acciona is aiming to facilitate the integration of variable-generation renewables into the grid and optimize the management of power produced.
