Construction of a Unique Large-Scale Battery System Has Started
August 12 saw the official start of construction of the large-scale battery storage M5BAT in Aachen. The system is unique in its modular design and planned power class of 5 megawatts, combining different battery technologies for optimal use. It has great potential to become a central component in the turn to sustainable energies due to its ability to stabilize grid operation.
Under the “Energy Storage Funding Initiative”, the M5BAT project receives 6.7 million Euros in funding from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.
Project partners are the E.ON Energy Research Center, the Institute of Power Systems and Energy Economics at RWTH Aachen (IAEW), the E.ON electric utility company, the Exide Technologies battery manufacturer with its business unit GNB Industrial Power, and SMA Solar Technology AG.
E.ON’s Chief Markets Officer Bernhard Reutersberg explains: “As part of its innovation activities, E.ON invests in a broad range of future energy storage technologies. Large battery storage systems are particularly interesting as they are highly flexible in their application. The insights we expect to gain in the M5BAT project are valuable for the entire energy sector, in particular for the effort to achieve carbon dioxide-reduced energy generation.“
The storage system will be installed in a modified former office building. The batteries and all other components of the storage system will take up two floor levels of space and parts of the roof, on an area of about 500 square meters.
The building renovation is carried out by E.ON, the installation of the batteries coordinated by the E.ON Energy Research Center. The project partners Exide Technologies and SMA Solar Technology AG provide the lead-acid batteries and inverters. The completion of the battery storage system is planned for mid 2016.
For detailed information on the Modular Multimegawatt, Multitechnology Medium-Voltage Battery Storage System, please visit the M5BAT web site.