Get off and create Sweden’s largest solar energy plus storage project
Renewable energy developer Alight is adding a 2MW/2MWh battery system to a 12MW solar park in Sweden, creating the largest solar-plus-storage project in the country.
The solar park in Linköping, southern Sweden, has been in operation since 2020 and the battery system, pictured above, will be commissioned in December this year.
The storage system is being deployed by Soltech Energy, the same company that is deploying a similar-sized unit at an EV charging station for trucks announced in February, covered by Energy-Storage.news Right then.
A press release helps the battery system contribute to balancing Sweden’s electricity grid through frequency regulation, ancillary services and optimization of solar energy production by providing energy when the solar energy system is not producing, for example at night, or in the event of blackouts or blackouts.
“We are very proud to establish the largest solar-plus-storage facility in Sweden to show how subsidy-free solar power and storage open up great opportunities. By adding storage solutions to our solar farms, we are revolutionizing the way we produce renewable electricity, making it a force of predictability and grid stability. As solar-plus storage becomes a standard, everyone wins,” says Harald Överholm, CEO of Alight.
The wording of the notice leaves open the small possibility that the battery system will not be charged directly from the adjacent solar farm. Most co-located projects in the UK and Europe only share grid connectivity and infrastructure.
Utility Tekniska verken operates the local grid and is also a co-owner of both the solar farm and the battery, as well as the full owner of the land on which they both sit.
The market for energy storage in public utilities in Sweden has gained momentum in recent months. In August, Alfen energy storage system (ESS) announced that it would supply the country’s largest battery system to date at 10MW/11.9MWh. Just a month later, developer Ingrid Capacity announced one almost seven times larger at 70 MW.
The country’s large pumped hydro storage (PHES) capacity has historically provided its balancing needs, but with the emergence of more renewable energy resources, these needs have begun to outstrip PHES capacity.