Leading technology group Wärtsilä will supply a 200MW / 400MWh energy storage system under an Engineered Equipment Delivery contract to Zenobē – an electric vehicle fleet and battery storage specialist – in Blackhillock, Scotland. The project will be a world-first in delivering stability services using a transmission-connected battery.

 

The pioneering energy storage system (ESS) will be one of the UK’s largest, and will support the country’s transition to a zero-carbon energy network by preparing the grid for an increased supply of renewable energy. 

The order was booked to Wärtsilä’s order intake in February 2023.

Providing crucial stability services

The ESS is the first project to be delivered under National Grid’s NOA Stability Pathfinder programme. Operated by Zenobē, the ESS will assist grid operators in the management of challenges related to balancing supply and demand, power stability and constraints. This will ensure network demand and customer cost expectations are met. Located in northeastern Scotland, the project is ideally suited to integrate nearby offshore wind energy projects in the North Sea with the UK’s energy grid. 

The battery system will provide stability services to the National Grid Electricity System Operator, including short-circuit level and true synthetic inertia, which are essential for the grid to function efficiently as fossil fuel plants phase out. The project couples Wärtsilä’s ESS with inverter technology, an innovative solution that pushes the technical boundaries of the types of support batteries can provide to the grid.

Optimising operations, easing network constraints

 

The GEMS Digital Energy Platform – Wärtsilä’s sophisticated energy management system – will control the ESS and leverage machine learning along with historic and real-time data analytics to optimise operations, while easing network constraints by importing electricity at times of peak renewable generation. Utilising the GEMS Fleet Direct and Power Plant Controller, GEMS will allow Zenobē to remotely monitor, operate, identify, and diagnose equipment with unrivalled safety, reliability, and flexibility. 

“Wärtsilä is proud to deliver this pioneering energy storage project alongside Zenobē. This is a first-of-its-kind project that will help balance the UK grid as it targets 100-per-cent renewable energy generation,” said Andy Tang, Vice President, Energy Storage & Optimisation at Wärtsilä.  “Energy storage is playing a critical role in delivering a stable supply of electricity during the global transition to renewable energy. Alongside our partners and customers, Wärtsilä is leading the way to a clean energy future.”

“The battery at Blackhillock brings together the very latest in grid-scale battery technology that will be crucial to lower consumer bills and enable more renewable energy onto the grid. With Wärtsilä and other project partners, we look forward to delivering this significant grid infrastructure project that will be an important milestone in the UK’s net-zero transition,” said Semih Oztreves, Director of Network Infrastructure at Zenobē. 

The facility will include Wärtsilä’s GridSolv Quantum, a fully integrated, modular, and compact energy storage system. The project is expected to become operational by summer 2024.