As large scale battery technology and economies of scale continue to improve, many industrial utilities are investigating the use of battery technology as the basis for Grid Energy Storage Systems (GESS). Based in Victoria, Australia, AusNet Services chose to trial the technology to explore the ability to manage peak demand with the potential to defer investment in network upgrades.
Through a competitive tender process, AusNet Services awarded the contract to design, construct and deliver a GESS to a consortium led by ABB Australia and Samsung SDI, with ABB in Australia providing the integration technology and design and Samsung SDI taking the role of battery supplier. The system is fully portable and redeployable and is installed on an industrial lot in a number of transportable shipping containers and transportable skids.
Situated in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, the system is located at an end-of-line distribution feeder in an industrial estate. With the design of the system commencing in early 2014 the system was commissioned in December 2014, and a two year trial is now underway. The GESS is the first Australian system of this type and size, and the trial aims to explore the benefits to peak demand management, power system quality and network investment deferral that large-scale, grid-connected energy systems can provide.
Through the installation and commissioning process a full set of site acceptance tests were conducted. These tests demonstrated the capabilities of the GESS with respect to power system supply and stability, islanding and reconnection to the larger grid and management of the various system components (passive and proportional load sharing between the PowerStore, battery management and charging etc.). This whitepaper presents these results and discusses the future applications for the demonstrated technology.