Invinity commemorates energisation of UK's biggest flow battery

• A 5MWh flow battery system set up as part of the Energy Superhub Oxford has been energised by Invinity Energy Systems alongside EDF-owned Pivot Power.

The flow battery system is the biggest in the UK, according to Invinity, as well as is to be combined with a 50MWh Wärtsilä lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS) to run as a solitary energy storage asset, with the lithium-ion element activated in June.

This will certainly make it not only will the largest directly-transmission-connected battery set up in the UK to day, however also the largest vanadium flow and lithium-ion hybrid battery ever released, Invinity stated.

This hybrid approach to energy storage is designed to take advantage of the strengths of each modern technology in order to raise grid resiliency as well as create a smarter, much more adaptable energy system.

In the ESO hybrid energy storage system, Invinity's vanadium flow batteries are made use of to 'front-end' the energy asset, serving as a very first line of feedback when the system is called into solution. This implies that the lithium-ion BESS will just obtain called into service after the necessary response surpasses the capacity of the Invinity battery system.

The Invinity flow battery system therefore executes much of the 'heavy-lifting' while reducing the endure the lithium-ion BESS, with the flow system not degrading with use, indicating it can cycle forever.

Since September, Invinity has actually mounted 27 of its VS3 flow batteries at the site, which rests alongside National Grid's substation in Cowley, Oxfordshire. Combined, these batteries-- each the size of a 20ft delivery container-- can deliver over 5MWh.

Invinity is working with battery trading optimiser Habitat Energy and power electronic devices distributor Gamesa Electric on the last combination as well as appointing of the battery ahead of launch.

"Once real-time, this cutting-edge hybrid battery will certainly demonstrate just how vanadium flow and also lithium-ion technologies can be combined for optimum advantage, to accelerate internet zero as well as power our lives with tidy energy," Tim Rose, programme manager for Energy Superhub Oxford at Pivot Power stated.

Pivot Power is leading the Energy Superhub Oxford project, which is made to support the city's goal of being zero carbon by 2040 or earlier by integrating fast electrical car (EV) charging, hybrid battery storage, low carbon home heating and clever energy management innovations.

Late last month, work began on the EV billing center element of the project, with this lauded as the UK's biggest, while 2 various other Superhubs, both situated in the West Midlands, are currently also in the works. Pivot Power has actually proceeded its partnership with Wärtsilä for these, with both to create 100MW/200MWh of battery storage split across both sites. Without a doubt, work this month started on a 50MW/100MWh battery storage space facility as part of the second Energy Superhub project, located near Birmingham.