Last week, the switch was flicked on a joint energy storage project between BMW, Bosch and Vattenfall that utilises used EV battery packs.
Located in Hamburg, Germany, the energy storage facility consists of 2,600 battery modules reclaimed from more than 100 BMW electric vehicles.
Energy stored by the 2MW/2.8 MWh plant will be sold on the primary control reserve electricity market by Vattenfall and will assist in maintaining grid stability.
“The stored energy is available within seconds and can help to keep the electricity grid stable,” says a statement from Bosch.
” Electricity storage is essential to enable a stable electricity supply with alternative energy sources. Natural fluctuations in solar power plants and wind turbines must be compensated as much as possible using storage methods with the greatest possible efficiency.”
The Battery 2nd Life development project started in 2013 and two other projects have already been rolled out Used batteries are providing interim storage and power buffering for fast-charge stations in Hamburg’s HafenCity district. The other project is associated with a solar installation at Vattenfall’s HafenCity district heating station.
During the project, BMW, Bosch and Vattenfall hope to learn more about the ageing characteristics and storage capacity attributes of used lithium-ion battery packs.
Last year, a study revealed Germany’s electricity system could handle quadruple the level of solar power installed without any major issues if energy storage is properly integrated.
In July, GTM Research forecast the country’s energy storage market will have grown eleven-fold in megawatt terms between 2015 and 2021, to reach an annual value of USD $1.03 billion.
Germany’s energy storage revolution is keeping the nation’s battery makers busy – the country already has one of the world’s leading residential battery storage market; thanks in part to the uptake of generous battery subsidies by owners of solar power systems.
Sonnen battery systems, now also available in Australia, have been one of the most popular storage solutions in Germany and the company has been spreading its wings. In May this year, sonnen recorded a new quarterly sales record; with worldwide sales of 2,600 sonnenBatterie units.
