As part of the initial project at a solar PV plant in Tudela, Spain, Saft will develop a modular lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery system to be housed inside a 6-meter container designed for industrial applications.

The container includes active temperature control systems and a fire suppression system. The long-life Li-ion battery offers high energy-efficiency, no battery maintenance and an easy way to measure the battery state of charge even while in use, Saft says.

The project also seeks to integrate solar PV plants within the grid as conventional power plants by means of new control systems to be developed by Acciona Energia, including testing of new solar PV technologies, with a final aim of reducing the cost of energy and providing additional services such as ancillary services, improving grid stability and backup power security.

“With the ever increasing contribution of renewables in our electricity mix, it is of crucial importance to improve the electrical behaviour of renewable power plants The decision to work with Saft on this project was a natural one”, says Miguel Arrarás, Solar PV Development Director Acciona Energia.

“In addition to their batteries high energy-efficiency and reliability, their containerised solution is ideal when it comes to addressing environmental constraints of field deployment. Saft’s knowledge of designing, manufacturing and controlling large energy storage systems means it will be a key contributor to the partnership.”

As part of the system, Saft will be able to offer the customer 1.1 MW power at up to 1 kV.

François Bouchon, Director of the Energy Storage Business Unit, Saft, adds: “We believe the introduction of containerised energy storage makes photovoltaic and other renewable energy source plants an increasingly attractive option for the future. The ability to address issues around reliability, stability and power management is a huge step for the power industry in its efforts to integrate ecological concerns.”