Following the acquisition on January 15, Rolls-Royce renamed Qinous as Rolls-Royce Solutions Berlin and is now investing to expand the business into a Microgrid Competence Center. The move is a sign of the growing importance of distributed energy systems in Rolls-Royce’s future product portfolio.
Made-to-measure microgrids
The offering of the Berlin microgrid specialist ranges from simple storage solutions to complex microgrids that combine battery storage with wind or solar PV units as well as with diesel or gas gensets. It includes energy supply systems that are either grid-connected or are fully independent.
Given that Rolls-Royce itself produces key components like battery storage, microgrid control systems and generator sets, the integration of Qinous’ know-how allows offering the customers a turnkey solution for microgrids. The expanded Quinos business unit hereby is “not merely a supplier of modules from the MTU product range,” Andreas Görtz, VP of the Power Generation business unit pointed out.
“We're giving the customer a turnkey total solution that is integrated perfectly from both a technical and economic perspective,” said Cordelia Thielitz, who heads up the Microgrid Solutions business unit at Rolls-Royce.
Tapping new income streams
In Germany and the U.S., microgrid solutions are particularly attractive for industrial applications due to their potential to reduce emissions while guaranteeing a stable energy supply. Moreover, micogrids can open up new income streams for power plant operators.
Used as self-sufficient, distributed power grids, these power systems enable remote mines or villages, without public grid access, to cover their electricity needs in an economical and more sustainable way.
Boosting the supply of batteries
Rolls-Royce is also growing its range of battery storage systems which will be produced at its Bavarian facility in Ruhstorf. The storage solutions are rated from 40 kVA to 2,000 kVA, and have capacities ranging between 50 kWh and 2,600 kWh.
The MTU-branded battery products are available as 20-foot and 40-foot containers, or compact versions. The scalable units can be adapted flexibly to meet customers’ performance needs. Battery storage is a core component of microgrids, and is also used as integral equipment in solar parks for ensuring grid stabilization, or as charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.