ABB is to provide an “innovative” microgrid, combining battery and flywheel based storage technologies, designed to test scalability and improve power stability for around 300,000 people in Anchorage, Alaska, USA.
The small scale project, initiated by local utility Chugach Electric Association “aims to identify technologies that will enable the integration of more renewables” including wind power from a 17 MW wind farm on Fire Island, located about 4 km off the coast of Anchorage “which will work in concert with the innovative storage solution” ABB said.
ABB’s modular and containerised microgrid solution PowerStore “will blend the complementary capabilities of two storage technologies, flywheel and battery storage.”
“The flywheel will facilitate the integration of fluctuating wind power and the battery will be used for long-term storage” ABB explained, adding the battery has a capacity of 500 kwh with a maximum performance of 2 MW.
“ABB’s advanced Microgrid Plus control system will monitor the hybrid storage solution and ensure proper load sharing between the two storage mediums” it said.