Author
Advertisement
Articles written by Blathnaid O’Dea
Arbitrage is the top use case for batteries by U.S. utilities, report finds
Arbitrage is the top use case for 10,487 MW of battery energy storage capacity in the US, making it the most reported primary use. This data was presented by the U.S. Energy Administration Association (EIA) and covers 2023.
20 hours ago
Swiss second-life battery startup Libattion secures EUR 14 million funding
Libattion, which turns discarded European electric vehicle (EV) batteries into energy storage systems, is planning a big push for growth. The managing director of A&G Energy Transition Tech Fund, the main backer, said the startup provides an economic alternative to the growing problem of waste from EV batteries while offering an “optimal supply alternative for stationary energy storage.”
Overall BESS quality has massively improved, but safety incidents make headlines
Any discussion about the quality of battery energy storage system (BESS) projects must consider safety. This was something that all three of the panelists who participated in pv magazine’s Focus event at The Smarter E in Munich last week agreed upon.
Advertisement
Uniper to recommission 160 MW pumped storage plant in Germany
The Happurg pumped storage plant was shut down in 2011 for safety reasons after the base of the upper reservoir was damaged. Uniper has carried out feasibility studies on the site, with a view to reconnecting it to the grid in 2028. The facility can store approximately 850 MWh of electricity in the form of pumped water.
Southeast Asia targets 18 GW of pumped hydro by 2033
According to projections from Norwegian consultancy Rystad Energy, Southeast Asia’s share of pumped storage hydropower is set to increase nearly eightfold in less than a decade – from 2.3 GW today to 18 GW by 2033. Rystad’s figures say that there is currently 2.7 GW of pumped hydro storage under construction, while the remaining 13.3 GW is in various stages of development.
Advertisement
Bulgaria backed by EIB for 1.6 GW of pumped storage
The European Investment Bank (EIB) will conduct economic and technological feasibility studies on two Bulgarian pumped storage hydropower plants due to be operational by 2032. The projects will each add generation capacity of around 800 MW and will both come with a price tag of around €900 ($964) million.
Nova Scotia gold mine could host PV-plus-pumped hydro storage energy hub
A new partnership will investigate the viability of colocating a closed-loop pumped hydro energy storage facility with solar PV at the site of a former gold mine in Moose River in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Atlantic Mining, owner of the mine, and Natural Forces, a renewables company with 300 MW of operational capacity in Canada, are optimistic the project will be feasible.
Advertisement