Guardian: “Across the world, efforts are underway to improve the way we store and distribute energy, as we move towards more sustainable but intermittent forms of energy generation, such as wind and solar power.”
“….The UK’s first two-megawatt (MW) lithium-titanate battery is to be connected to the energy grid as part of a new research project to tackle the challenges of industrial-scale energy storage. The project aims to test the technological and economic challenges of using giant batteries to provide support to the grid. We’ll also test whether used battery packs from electric vehicles can be given a second life, and applied in hybrid systems to lower the cost of storage.
The lithium-titanate battery was chosen because it is faster to charge, longer lasting and much safer to use than its common alternative, lithium ion – particularly in terms of the reduced fire risk. It will be the largest battery of its type installed in the UK.
Some companies are already considering installing large batteries in their own premises, mainly for storing excess electricity from renewable sources, but their high capital costs and the uncertainties over how they might work commercially has meant uptake of the technology is still very slow.
The scale of this project will allow results to be recorded at a credible industrial scale, as opposed to typical laboratory prototypes, and hence bridge the gap between academic research and industrial needs. Due to be in operation from February 2015, it will facilitate testing of viable technology prototypes at a level where future scaling will be de-risked, and at a scale ready for actual operation.”
Future Today
