Saft Supplying Li-ion Storage for ABB SVC Light Grid System

By Green Car Congress on 05/02/2010 – 1:25 pm PDT -- Green

Saft is providing the Li-ion (lithium-ion) battery technology for ABB’s new SVC (Static Var Compensator) Light with Energy Storage—its latest development within the FACTS (Flexible Alternating Current Transmission Systems) family. The technology can play an important role in integrating renewables into the grid.

Svclight
Hierarchy of the battery solution. Source: ABB. Click to enlarge.

The new technology combines SVC Light, with a highly scalable battery storage technology .The present rated power and capacity of storage is typically in the 20 MW range for periods of approximately 15 to 45 minutes, but this technology can be scaled up to 50 MW of power for 60 minutes and more.

SVC Light is a system that provides fast-acting reactive power compensation in high-voltage electricity networks. It compensates for fluctuations in the voltage and current of an electric grid, thereby allowing more power to flow through the network while maintaining safety margins and increasing stability.

“This technology can play an important role when it comes to integrating renewables, especially in weak electrical networks. It can be a key enabler in the development of more reliable and smarter grids.”
—Claes Rytoft, head of technology for ABB’s Power Systems division

ABB’s SVC Light with Energy Storage enables dynamic control of active as well as reactive power in a power system, independent of each other. Fast reactive power control means that grid voltage and stability can be controlled quickly.

Active power control is enabled with dynamic energy storage by levelling out power fluctuations from intermittent generation sources such as wind and solar energy. This technology also facilitates load support and ancillary grid services such as area frequency regulation.

SVC Light is a system connected to the grid at transmission as well as sub-transmission and distribution levels; advanced IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors) are utilized as switching devices.

The SVC Light with Energy Storage will store power from renewable energy sources and surplus power from the grid in its Saft Li-ion battery system. At times when the level of renewable power available falls, such as when the wind drops or photovoltaic panels are obscured by cloud, or whenever a peak in power consumption occurs, the system will inject the power required to provide controlled ramping and to maintain a stable grid.

The Saft modular Li-ion battery technology offers excellent cycling capability—3,000 cycles at 80% depth of discharge or 1 million cycles at 3% depth of discharge–as well as a long calendar life and an intelligent, self-diagnostic design. It also offers high energy density,
millisecond-level response time and high power capability, both in charge and discharge.

Saft’s Li-ion technology provides precise information on the battery’s state of charge (SOC). An array of battery modules provide the necessary rated DC voltage and storage capacity for each installation. Paralleling within the battery provides a high level of fault tolerance and ensures excellent system availability.

In addition to the development and supply of the battery system, Saft is collaborating with ABB in qualification and field testing of the SVC Light with Energy Storage system. The first trial installation is already underway in part of the UK distribution grid. When it is
commissioned, later in 2010, it will demonstrate the concept’s capability under a variety of network conditions, including operation with nearby wind generation.

Resources

  • SVC Light with Energy Storage (ABB presentation)

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