ABB is providing a microgrid combining wind power and battery- and flywheel-based storage technologies to test the scalability and improve power stability for around 300,000 people in Anchorage, Alaska.
The small-scale project, initiated by Anchorage-based Chugach Electric Association Inc., aims to identify technologies that will enable the integration of more renewables, including wind power from a 17 MW wind farm on Fire Island – located about 4 kilometers off the coast of Anchorage – which will work in concert with the storage solution.
ABB’s modular and containerized microgrid solution, PowerStore, will blend the complementary capabilities of flywheel and battery storage. The flywheel will facilitate the integration of fluctuating wind power, and the battery will be used for long-term storage. The battery has a capacity of 500 kWh and a maximum performance of 2 MW.
ABB’s Microgrid Plus control system will monitor the hybrid storage solution and ensure proper load sharing between the two storage mediums. It is also equipped for remote service and maintenance.
“This innovative solution shows how energy storage technology can boost renewable energy penetration in Alaska and have far-reaching implications for new renewable projects on the Railbelt, as well as in smaller Alaskan communities,” says Paul Risse, senior vice president of power supply at Chugach Electric.
