Image credit: National Grid/Julian Calverley
Toshiba is to provide a 1MWh lithium-titanate battery for an energy storage system being developed by University of Sheffield in the UK.
The 2MW scale system will be installed at a primary substation near Wolverhampton in the UK. Installation is scheduled for October with operation to start in November.
The system will be connected to the 11kV grid managed by Western Power Distribution.
“Large-scale batteries could reduce the need to keep energy generators on standby to respond to peaks in demand, but it’s as yet unclear how this might be best managed commercially,” said Professor Dave Stone from the University of Sheffield’s Faculty of Engineering.
“Because this is a dedicated research facility, we’ll be able to explore the advantages of grid connected energy storage in a real operating environment, but without commercial constraints. We’ll be able to openly assess the impacts of the technology on our energy infrastructure, which should ensure faster adoption by the sector, to help improve how the grid functions and its overall stability,” added Stone.
Toshiba claims its SCiB lithium-titanate based secondary battery is capable of fast charging and discharging and offers more safety than other lithium-ion technologies.