Industrial Energy Storage Systems: First Experience of Operation in Ukraine

12 November 2021

With the increase of the part of renewable energy the problem of balancing the energy supply systems becomes more and more critical. Nowadays the compensation of the generation deficiency is performed using the pumped-storage units and switching capacities of thermal power plants. At the same time, the use of the latter actually reduces the efficiency of using the “green” energy sources in terms of decarbonization of the process of electric energy production. The implementation of industrial lithium-ion storage systems may become the resolution of this problem.

Energy Storage System: Advantages and Prospects

The pilot project of an industrial storage system based on lithium-ion batteries has already been implemented at Zaporizhzhia thermal power station. The battery with the capacitance of 2.2 MW*h and capacity of 1 MW has been commissioned on October 04 and has proved its efficiency during this period by helping regulate the frequency in the energy system. Compared to other types of balancing facilities, its use has a range of the following advantages:

• High reaction speed: the connection to the system takes place almost instantly
• The energy accumulator functions autonomously without requiring a lot of maintenance personnel
• The work of the battery storage is almost environmentally neutral; at the same time, the greenhouse gases are not released into the atmosphere

According to the forecasts, the investments will be completely repaid within 7-9 years. On the basis of the gained experience, the DTEK Company plans to build the energy accumulator with the capacity of 50 MW in 2022. To stimulate the development of this branch, the draft law, the purpose of which is the development of economic mechanism which would stimulate the creation of the systems of energy accumulation and storage, was submitted to the Verkhovna Rada. By nature, it resembles the law on the green tariff and sets the investment attractive conditions for provision of additional services.

The industrial systems of electric energy accumulation, storage and distribution are one of the most intensively developing segments of global electric energy industry; it increased 48 times just during the last decade. At the same time, the USA and Australia are the leaders in the area of industrial systems based on lithium ion accumulators, where they are seen as an important part of ensuring safety and stability of the energy system as a whole.