Batteries are increasingly widely used in grid balancing, but there are many more applications where a battery can play an important role. With electric grids requiring periodic maintenance, batteries can stand in for the grid during downtime in order to reduce the impact on industry and households, writes Dieter Castelein.

A 300MW pipeline of behind-the-meter energy storage projects in Canada and the US will be executed by large engineering firm Honeywell, with Canadian project developer NRStor.

Fortune 100 technology company Honeywell will supply a multiple megawatt-hour battery energy storage system at a commercial site in Ontario, Canada.

Nippon Koei, one of Japan’s largest engineering firms, has formed a joint venture with a British battery storage firm to construct two 50MW behind-the-meter energy storage projects in the UK.

Power electronics giant Hitachi has acquired ABB’s power grids business in an US$11 billion (£8.7 billion) deal which cements its position in the energy solutions sector.

Vattenfall has brought online its 22MW battery project co-located with the Pen y Cymoedd onshore wind farm in Wales, becoming the latest company to start delivering sub-second frequency response to National Grid in the UK.

The UK’s power system could become greener and more efficient if excess generation, typically from renewable sources, was used to create hydrogen, a national association of engineers has said.

Siemens has helped start a smart grid pilot project in Rotterdam that will connect 20,000 homes with renewables and storage facilities.

Power equipment manufacturer Wärtsilä has launched hybrid and standalone energy storage systems, targeting areas where it sees “high market potential”, including remote microgrids and solar PV integration.

Engineering multinational Siemens will collaborate with Eos Energy Storage, maker of zinc hybrid cathode-based battery systems, on the integration, installation and servicing of energy storage systems.