Liander and giga storage launch pilots large-scale battery storage at grid bottlenecks
Grid operator Liander and GIGA Storage, developer of large-scale battery systems, are starting pilots with large batteries in Amsterdam, Alkmaar and Lelystad to use the electricity grid more efficiently and give more parties access to the grid. In doing so, they are anticipating the new Energy Act that is currently in the works. Thanks to this smart solution, unused space on the electricity grid can be used during off-peak times to connect more entrepreneurs, even in places where the grid has reached its maximum capacity.
The electricity grid forms the basis for the Netherlands’ sustainability and economic development. However, due to the explosively increased demand for electricity and the rapid rise of solar parks and solar roofs, the grid is reaching its maximum capacity in more and more places. However, that maximum capacity is usually rarely
actually requested by the connected entrepreneurs. The rest of the time, the capacity of the grid is only partially used (see the figure). Grid operators are required by law, when allocating capacity on the grid 24/7, to take into account the maximum capacity that all connected operators can request simultaneously. If that limit is reached, grid operators are obligated to place new requests on a waiting list until the grid is expanded. Meanwhile, at many times, part of the electricity grid’s capacity remains unused.
Unused space in the power grid
Even operators with large batteries such as GIGA Storage are required by current laws and regulations to contract capacity on the grid 24/7, for both consumption (charging) and feed-in to the grid (discharging).
As more and more large-scale batteries are installed, they now often contribute to reaching the maximum capacity of the grid. While they could actually be one of the solutions to use the grid more efficiently. In the new Energy Act, opportunities arise to regulate this differently.
Liander will now explore with GIGA Storage how time-limited contracts for customers with large-scale battery storage can contribute to more efficient use of the electricity grid. Within the pilots, Liander is offering GIGA Storage the opportunity to use residual grid space to charge and discharge their batteries. This means that GIGA Storage can only access the grid at times when unused space is available.
AMSTERDAM, ALKMAAR and LELYSTAD
Liander is starting three pilots in its service area with GIGA Storage. These involve the deployment of batteries in Amsterdam, Alkmaar and Lelystad. In parts of Amsterdam and Alkmaar, the electricity grid has reached its maximum capacity for supplying electricity. Here the parties want to create additional capacity for the supply of electricity by deploying batteries.
Here the batteries are given access to the unused space of the electricity grid, which avoids placing the battery on the waiting list. This creates additional flexible power that Liander can deploy within congestion management. In this way, Liander reduces the waiting list and the grid operator can connect more customers. The batteries in Amsterdam and Alkmaar will be between 10 and 20 megawatts, and in Lelystad they will be 25 megawatts.
In Lelystad, the grid has reached maximum capacity for the feed-in of wind and solar power. GIGA Storage and Liander want to use the battery here to create more space for feeding in green power. With the battery, the feed-in can be limited, allowing Liander to connect more customers.
Huibert Baud, Director of Customer & Design at Liander: “This will allow us to learn how to communicate the available capacity on the electricity grid to our customers per time slot, which grid tariff should then apply and whether the business case of developers can be made in combination with opportunities for other revenues such as congestion services. The first results are expected in 2023.”
Ruud Nijs, CEO of GIGA Storage: “We are in discussions with grid operators to realize large-scale energy storage. This creates a partnership between all parties in the energy chain that will contribute to a rapid energy transition and a substantial alleviation of connection problems.”
EXPANSIONS AND INNOVATIONS
The grid operators are expanding the electricity grid substantially all over the country with new cables, additional transformer houses and electricity distribution stations. Until 2030, this involves an investment of as much as 30 billion euros.
However, the expansion of the electricity grid is not going fast enough to keep up with all the developments and continue to meet the new demand. This is why grid managers are also focusing on various innovations and smart solutions to make better use of the electricity grid, such as using the grid’s emergency lane to transport wind and solar power and combining multiple producers on one connection (cable pooling). Not only Liander is starting pilots with time-based contracts for entrepreneurs with large batteries, other regional grid managers are doing the same. Such as Enexis Netbeheer in Drenthe. You can read more about it in the press release published today by Netbeheer Nederland.
With more renewable and local sources such as wind and solar as its basis, the energy system of the future will be much more decentralized and more weather-dependent. Both consumers and entrepreneurs in the future will therefore have to access energy in a very different way and adjust their energy use to moments when energy is available and can be transported.
About LIANDER
Liander is the grid operator in North Holland, Flevoland, Gelderland, Friesland and part of South Holland. We ensure that 3.2 million households and businesses can use electricity and gas. Our job is to keep the energy supply reliable, affordable and accessible. That is why we maintain and renew the existing energy network, and are ready day and night to resolve disruptions. We also reinforce the electricity network in places where more capacity is needed with new cables, distribution stations and transformer houses. So that our customers can always use energy. Now and in the future.
Contact: spokesperson tel. 088 191 2002, woordvoering@alliander.com
About GIGA STORAGE
GIGA Storage realizes large-scale energy storage, filling in the missing link in the energy transition. It invests in projects for both energy optimization and grid stability. GIGA Storage aims to become the market leader of energy storage in Europe and to fully utilize sustainably generated energy.
Contact: Tiffany Abati, spokesperson, +31 6 11530639, tiffany.abati@giga-storage.com, www.giga-storage.com