Schneider and Areva partner to develop storage technology

This collaboration should spur storage technology growth further!

That way, Richard Branson would not have to wait too long to shift his Necker Island to 100% renewable energy. The wealthy man is currently targetting 75% of power supply in the resort island sourced from wind and solar by 2015.

PVtech reported this week that nuclear and renewable energy technology engineer, Areva has teamed up with renewables energy generator and distributor, Schneider Electric to develop hydrogen fuel cell storage technology.


Areva has used hydrogen fuel cell storage technology since 2011, connecting the Greenenergy Box to a 560kW PV system in Corsica. Image: Wikipedia


Partnership by two energy giants

The deal between Areva and Schneider Electric will see the pair jointly design and propose new storage technology solutions to improve grid security, especially for isolated areas with limited power access.

Areva has agreed to provide its Greenenergy Box – a storage solution using an electrolyzer and fuel cell. The box stores the hydrogen and oxygen from the electrolysis of water when energy demand is low, to compensate for peak demand. Areva has used this technology since 2011, connecting the Greenenergy Box to a 560kW PV system in Corsica. The box will soon also be hooked up to a 35kW system in La Croix Valmer in the south of France.

Schneider is hoping the partnership will assist in its goal of achieving grid parity for renewable energy, reducing power disruption and decreasing grid connection complications.

Areva will benefit from Schneider’s international presence and expertise in utility-scale and grid connected renewable energy projects.


Source: PVtech

China grid-scale energy storage: Outlook in 2012-2016

What's with the huge interest on China's RE initiatives?

Because it is fast becoming leader in renewables, and it has the world’s largest declared investment in renewable energy; no matter how you look at it. Rightly so because this year, China’s electric grid will become the largest in the world in terms of both installed generation capacity and electricity produced.

These facts, according to Greentechmedia, suggest that China is also the most attractive market for energy storage in the world, even though China currently has just 4% of the worldwide energy storage capacity. Japan has the largest installed energy storage capacity at 42% of the cake. This does not take into account pumped hydroelectric.

World's installed energy storage capacity, excluding pumped hydroelectric. Source: GTM


China's focus

Whereas other markets have focused on power quality and ancillary services, GTM noted that China’s grid energy storage market has developed with a focus on renewable energy integration, load-shifting and peak shaving. Azure International and GTM Research forecast that pumped hydro storage capacity will double or triple by 2016 to reach 40-60 GW, while other storage technologies will rise from currently insignificant levels to over 700 MW installed by 2016. Refer to the following Figure:

World's overall energy storage installed capacity, excluding pumped hydroelectric. Energy storage is dominated by Li-Ion and Pb-Acid. Source: GTM


With strong government support and steadily improving technology, GTM anticipate the energy storage market will grow to a US$500 million per year market by 2016.

Credit: There is a full report of the research carried out by GTM Research that you can download for a fee. IFor me, this introductory info is sufficient as I don't have any need for details right now. But for those interested, the more than 140 pages report can be downloaded at Report.


Glossary:

Energy storage - accomplished by devices or physical media that store energy  (potential energy or
                           kinetic energy) to perform useful operation at a later time.

Grid energy storage - a method used to store electricity on a large scale within an electrical power grid.

Pumped hydroelectric - a method used to stores energy in the form of water, pumped from a lower
                          elevation reservoir to a higher elevation. When electrical demand is high, the stored
                          water is released through turbines.