Image: GE Renewable Energy
The UK’s first DC-coupled battery energy storage system is under development in a collaboration between GE Renewable Energy and Wykes.
GE Renewable Energy was chosen by Wykes to deliver the 25MW multiple hour duration energy storage systems, which will be integrated with Wykes’ 60MW solar PV plant at the Chelveston Renewable Energy Park.
The site also has 26MW of wind energy, with Wykes intending to use the storage to add another 60MW of solar capacity, taking total renewable capacity to 146MW.
The company is lauding it as the UK’s first direct-DC-coupled solar deployment where the solar and batteries share a common set of power conversion equipment. This, Wykes said, will help improve overall energy output of the hybrid system while also optimising costs and increasing system reliability and flexibility.
Prakash Chandra, renewable hybrids CEO at GE Renewable Energy, said: “The world is increasingly moving to generate more dispatchable renewables using Hybrid solutions – combining the power of standalone technologies like wind and solar with storage through controls and software, and this project is a further demonstration of GE’s capabilities in this space."
The storage system is to give Wykes "full flexibility for today’s market circumstances and future market dynamics", according to the company, allowing it to optimise the energy generated onsite.
Scott Coleman, process and controls engineering manager, Wykes Engineering Ltd, said the company selected GE Renewable Energy's storage system as it was "flexible, scalable and allowed us to perform a range of tasks enabling us to provide resilient services, not only to the National Grid, but to our private energy consumers within our expanding on-site grid".