Safeguarding against regional blackouts
As power generation becomes increasingly volatile, there is a growing need for grid-forming or backup power-capable energy storage systems that can be used to protect against bottlenecks. Although a nationwide blackout is not expected in Germany, the Federal Network Agency considers regional shutdowns to be likely, especially in the south of the country. This was also the conclusion from stress tests carried out between July and September by the four German transmission system operators 50Hertz, Amprion, TenneT and TransnetBW on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Economics.
Thanks to its commercial and large-scale storage units – INTILION | scalebloc, INTILION | scalestac and INTILION | scalecube – INTILION has the right solutions in its product range to face these imminent challenges. Indeed, the company offers versatile solutions: scalable devices from 70 kilowatt hours to several megawatt hours.
From mountain hotels to megawatt projects
Today, the battery storage expert held an expert talk entitled “Blackout: grid replacement systems as a perspective for the power grid of the future.” During his talk, Pascal Lefarth, Technical Manager of C&I Storage Solutions, explained how farmers, care facilities, industrial companies and energy suppliers can stabilize the grid, replace it or form an island grid: “Regardless of whether we are talking about complex lathes, cold storage facilities, warehouses or milking robots – our energy storage solutions with backup-power capability can be used to replace the grid in the event of a power outage. Pig and turkey farms also depend on a backup power solution to ventilate their barns. Wastewater treatment plants can use the storage solutions to increase their buffer time, and energy suppliers can start their power plants black.” In this regard, INTILION is the only company that can also trade high power and currents and offer industrial-grade solutions. “For example, our backup power-capable storage systems are already being used in a mountain hotel, but also in a project in the megawatt range,” reports Lefarth.
Setting up stand-alone grids, integrating generators
Dr. Stefan Haslinger, Head of Power Distribution & Innovation at Schubert CleanTech, is also convinced that emergency power systems provide significant benefits. He is already using several INTILION battery storage systems in practice. With the right emergency power system, he says, it is possible not only to set up an island grid, but also to manage it and integrate other power generation systems such as solar plants.
“The job of grid operators in the future will NOT be to expand grids so that everyone can be reliably supplied with electricity from renewable sources. In contrast, the job of grid operators will be to expand grids so that everyone can feed their locally generated electricity into them,” Haslinger said.
Opportunities and risks of the energy transformation
Other speakers at the expert talk included Professor Oliver Brückl from the Ostbayerisch Technische Hochschule Regensburg and Josef Bayer, Head of Research & Development Energy Systems at Max Bögl. They addressed the opportunities and risks of transformed energy systems and the prospects for the power grid of the future. Following the presentations, Boris Langerbein, INTILION’s Director of Innovation, Communication & Organization, moderated a panel discussion. The expert talk took place for the fourth time.
