Energy efficiency solutions provider and energy storage developer Anesco is to partner with “technology-driven utility” Limejump to deliver 185MW of energy storage capability in the UK into August’s capacity market, with plans for the units to be brought online by the end of 2018.
Anesco, which recently connected its twentieth utility scale battery unit to raise its active storage portfolio to 18.9MW, plans to join the new projects with Limejump’s Virtual Power Plant. Limejump has aggregated the capabilities of 150 generators and more than 1,200 organisations to offer a 200MW resource to the grid operator, National Grid.
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
Or continue reading this article for free
The units will be able to provide sub-second response to the requirements of the grid, offering the potential to stack revenues across capacity market auctions, frequency response and wider market participation such as demand turn up.
According to Anesco’s executive chairman Steve Shine, the move is “further proof of the significant growth of the sector”.
“We’ve long believed that energy storage is a vital part of any renewable energy generation system. That’s why we’ve pioneered its use for many years, working on ways to create a viable model for our customers to be able to implement the technology and start reaping the benefits.
“As well as aiding grid stability, energy storage can help maximise the use of renewable power being generated, while breeding a more resilient local grid. It’s an exciting time for the sector and we predict momentum will continue to grow, as more and more generators look to benefit from the technology.”
Projects to operate commercially within Limejump’s virtual power plant
By partnering with Limejump, which has successfully secured multiple contracts in previous capacity market auctions, Anesco will hope to see its projects gain long-term contracts in the next T-4 auction for delivery 2021/22, as well as future National Grid tenders for grid services.
Erik Nygard, chief executive of Limejump, added: “Limejump is proud to be commercially operating the Anesco projects within our Virtual Power Plant, providing them with access to the full breadth of market opportunities and enabling more distributed generators and commercial assets to participate in grid balancing schemes.
“This approach helps to balance out more renewable generation on the grid, decreasing the UK’s reliance on large fossil fuel plants and offering a more cost effective solution to increasing renewables through cleaner, smarter technology.”
As well as connecting its twentieth storage project, dubbed a “fantastic milestone” by Shine, Aneso also recently passed 100 solar sites in England.
The upcoming storage projects will join the wide range of generation and business assets and storage projects already operating within Limejump’s Virtual Power Plant. The aggregator, which will commercially operate the new sites, already does so for the largest portfolio of energy storage projects in the UK, combining their speed of response with the flexibility of distributed generators and commercial assets to enable full participation in the UK’s dynamic frequency response contracts.