Japan Is Building World’s Largest Energy Storage System, Unlike Anything We Have Seen Before
Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan’s main islands, is known for its chilly and windy climate. So it does not come as a surprise that the island hosts many wind farms in the area.
As the average wind speeds in the region reach up to 10 kmph around this time of the year, the wind farms are able to produce a considerable amount of renewable energy. However, the fluctuations in the energy produced act as a spoiler.
Therefore, North Hokkaido Wind Energy Transmission Corporation is looking to set up transmission facilities and high-capacity energy-storage systems, capable of catering to large-scale wind turbines of over 500 MW. Once set up, the pilot project would provide a stable supply to the grid in the area.
As per Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, the arm assigned with the task of monitoring and controlling the battery and power conditioners in the project, believes that the project will be the world’s largest energy-storage system. In figures, it will have a 240-MW output and 720-MWh rated capacity.
To put this into context, know that the Hornsdale Power Reserve battery plant set up by Elon Musk’s Tesla around this time last year, to date boasts of being the largest energy storage project. And to think, it has a capacity of 129-MWh.
As can be imagined, the upcoming project will surely dwarf the existing pinnacle of energy storage. However, the project is not expected to commence operation until March, 2023. And by the time, several other energy projects would have been set up which proclaim an equally impressive capacity. EWE Gasspeicher’s Project ‘brine4power’ (720-MWh) and VFB batteries for the Dalian peninsula in China (800-MWh), UET and Rongke Power’s joint collaboration, are a few mention-able ones.
Such energy storage projects are crucial to boost the use of renewable energy formats as the mainstream power supply. Since the fluctuations in the production of renewable energy are negated with such facilities, countries are now investing heavily on such set ups for meeting their energy requirements.
Tesla’s largest battery pack in South Australia can alone power 30,000 homes for an hour when fully charged. What’s more, the $90.6 million project has also been hailed to make back a third of its cost within a year of its operations. With such returns in addition to their environmental benefits, energy storage systems are poised to be the global solution for energy requirements across the globe.
Source: indiatimes
