Hawaii Wind Power Plant Gets Battery Backup

A123 Systems to supply 11 MW grid battery system to Maui’s Auwahi wind farm. An 11-megawatt battery system for a wind power plant on Maui’s Ulupalakua Ranch land will help stabilize the island’s energy. The energy storage solution is designed to smooth variable wind energy.

A123 Systems, a developer and manufacturer of advanced Nanophosphate lithium ion batteries and systems, announced that it will supply an 11MW Grid Battery System (GBS) to Sempra Generation for the Auwahi Wind energy project in Maui, Hawaii.

The advanced energy storage solution is designed to smooth variable wind power generation, which is expected to help maintain the stability to Maui’s electric grid.

"We believe that wind-rich locations like Hawaii represent a significant opportunity for energy storage, especially as project developers and utilities continue to understand that storage has the capability to help maximise production and reduce the challenges associated with the variability of wind power generation," said Robert Johnson, vice president of the Energy Solutions Group at A123.

"We consider Sempra Generation’s selection of our GBS energy storage solution for the Auwahi Wind project to be strong validation of our technology, and we look forward to showcasing the benefits of our energy storage systems for wind power integration when the Auwahi project is operational."

When fully operational, the 21MW Auwahi Wind project is expected to be capable of generating enough energy to power the equivalent of 10,000 homes, and the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission has approved a 20-year contract for Maui Electric Company to purchase the electricity produced at Auwahi.

A123’s GBS storage system is designed to facilitate the smooth and efficient operation of the wind farm, helping Sempra Generation maintain the consistent delivery of clean, emission-free energy to Maui Electric.

In addition, A123’s Smart Grid Domain Controller will manage voltage regulation requirements for the project, leveraging the battery system and other assets including substation capacitor banks.

When called upon, the storage solution will use A123’s proprietary Nanophosphate lithium ion batteries and built-in power electronics to deliver up to 11MW of power in milliseconds, providing Sempra Generation with a robust, turnkey solution for meeting energy requirements while helping to maintain grid stability.

www.a123systems.com