News in brief from the week in energy storage around the world.

Swiss utility and power distribution company EKZ (Elektrizitätswerke des Kantons Zürich) is building a grid-balancing and renewables integrating 18MW / 7.5MWh energy storage system and has appointed NEC Energy Solutions to execute the project.

The UK’s main electricity transmission network operator (TNO) National Grid has published a new consultation on its system needs and product strategy which paves the way for a number of new services tenders to be made available from next year.

Multinational energy company Engie Group has contracted NEC Energy Solutions and NEC Chile to provide a 2MW / 2MWh energy storage system to its subsidiary Engie Energia Chile in Latin America.

A New Zealand network operator will install a grid-scale battery from S&C Electric as part of a pilot programme.

The utility has integrated battery energy storage systems into California’s electricity market CAISO for the first time.

US-Canadian energy storage project developer Convergent Energy and Power has secured third-party project financing for 12MW of energy storage projects in Canada that will provide grid services.

Lithium-ion energy storage manufacturer Leclanché saw revenue of around CHF28 million (US$28.89 million) through H1 2016, up 65% year-on-year, according to the firm’s interim results for the half year ending 30 June 2016.

Energy storage software and integration specialist Greensmith Energy will partner power firm E.ON Climate and Renewables and the utility Tucson Electric Power (TEP) to provide software control for a utility-scale energy storage system next to a solar array in Arizona.

Energy storage developers have an opportunity to prove the benefits of storage systems compared to fossil fuel technologies in what will be one of the fastest energy storage procurements in history pending in California, according to industry commentators and analysts.