Korean firm Kokam has supplied two lithium nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) oxide batteries to utility Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) for frequency regulation on the South Korean grid.
The two systems, one 24MW (9MWh) the other 16MW (6MWh), add to a 16MW lithium titanate oxide (LTO) battery already installed by Kokam for KEPCO last year.
Kokam claims the 24MW battery is the largest lithium NMC battery in the world deployed for frequency regulation purposes.
Together the three systems form part of a bigger battery project under which 500MW of battery storage will be installed by 2017.
The storage units are expected to help KEPCO reduce its need for spinning power reserve to ensure grid stability. This will save an estimated US$13 million in fuel costs every year, amounting to three times the cost of the storage systems’ purchase price their lifetime, according to a Kokam statement.
“Kokam specialises in the development of advanced battery technologies for the world’s most demanding energy storage system applications, including frequency regulation, which needs systems that deliver high power, fast recharge rates and long cycle lives,” said Ike Hong, vice president of Kokam’s Power Solutions Division. “Our energy storage systems provide KEPCO with the performance it needs to precisely and cost-effectively regulate frequency on the South Korean grid, helping it ensure the stability of this grid, improve its operational efficiency and lower its greenhouse gas emissions.”
Hwang Woohyun, KEPCO's senior vice president, head of Innovative Energy Business Division, said: “Kokam’s 56MW of Energy Storage Systems are making a major contribution to the stabilisation of our grid, and we hope to continue to cooperate with Kokam to develop energy storage projects that improve grid reliability, lower our operational costs and reduce our environmental impact."
Enjoy 12 months of exclusive analysis
- Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
- In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
- Annual digital subscription to the PV Tech Power journal
- Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual