New battery storage facility in Sweden increases grid capacity

Vattenfall, Boliden and Landskrona Energi, with the support of the Swedish Energy Agency, are conducting a two-year research project and investing in a new battery storage facility in Landskrona.

 

The new scope of the project is to develop a battery storage facility that can combine reduced electricity costs for the customer with flexible grid services such as grid stability (frequency regulation) or provide support if the local electricity grid does not suffice. The smart storage facility chooses the service that is most economic at the time; whichever one it is, participating customers benefit, and it creates flexibility.

This is the first time such a large battery storage facility has been installed on the premises of an industrial customer, Boliden’s Bergsöe recycling plant in Landskrona, South of Sweden. The facility will be commissioned in the summer, and has a capacity of 1 MWh, which is the equivalent of 24 electric car batteries of the type found in the BMW i3 electric car.

Boliden Bergsöe is a smelter that smelts lead from used car batteries for recycling. The cost of the project is SEK 7.4 million, of which the Swedish Energy Agency is contributing SEK 1.9 million.

  “We’re working on solutions for present and future needs for flexibility. The unique aspect of this project is that it can support four levels in the electricity system: the transmission grid, regional and local grids, and the electricity consumer. The project is an important part of Vattenfall’s continuing journey to provide new services for our industrial customers, customised for the future energy system and the electrification of industry,” says Magnus Berg, project manager at Vattenfall.

  “Batteries will be an important part of our work towards electrification and energy efficiency improvement in our operations. This project will help us along that road, at the same time as we also create better energy security for other electricity customers,” says Mats Gustavsson, Energy Manager at Boliden.

  “Power and capacity issues are becoming more and more important in our region, and at the same time we want to promote further set-ups in Landskrona. So we’re looking forward to evaluating what opportunities there are for the customers to contribute to a more efficient use of the grid and at the same time influence their costs,” says Angelo Tizzano, Head of Distribution, Landskrona Energi.

  “Local and regional solutions for storing and using electricity are becoming more and more important as the electricity requirements of our society increase. This project is an example of how it’s possible to find solutions here and now,” says Susanne Karlsson, Head of the Swedish Energy Agency’s Sustainable Electricity unit.

Facts:

•            Vattenfall: A number of Vattenfall’s Business Units are participating in the project. Vattenfall Network Solutions is responsible for ownership and administration plus operation and maintenance of the battery storage facility during the project period. The concept is part of Power-as-a-service, and in formal terms the delivery is by Vattenfall Elanläggningar AB. Vattenfall AB is managing the research project itself and further developing the control algorithms for the battery, as well as supplying the frequency regulation service to Svenska Kraftnät.

•            Boliden: Boliden Mineral AB operates the plant in Bergsöe where the battery storage facility is being located. The battery creates flexibility for the customer by storing fossil-free electricity when the price is lower, which reduces the cost of electricity, while the battery also provides support during consumption peaks.

•            Landskrona Energi AB: Owns and operates the local electricity grid in Landskrona. At times when there are restrictions in the grid as a result of temporary high consumption, so-called capacity peaks, the battery can support the regional and local electricity grids.

•            The capacity of the battery storage facility is 500 kW.