Danish partners seek to integrate batteries into wind turbines

KK Wind Solutions, a Danish provider of electrical systems for wind turbines, this week said it is taking part in a project designed to develop battery storage for integration into wind turbines.

Other participants in the project are Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas Wind Systems A/S (CPH:VWS), PowerCon and Aalborg University.

According to KK Wind Solutions, storing energy in the turbine itself is a promising way to smooth out wind power fluctuations. It says that energy storage needs to account for just 8% of a wind farm's capacity to remove nearly 90% of fluctuations in generation. The company adds that large-scale adoption of the various storage solutions already available is hindered by high procurement and maintenance costs.

"The potential for a cost-effective energy storage solution in wind turbines is enormous," said Kristoffer Qvist Nielsen, KK Wind Solutions' head of global research and development (R&D). "With such technology, we will be able to make wind turbines an active and constant energy source, which will accelerate the competitiveness of wind energy to new heights," Nielsen added.

Another proposal that could tackle intermittency is to integrate hydrogen production into a wind turbine. Dutch wind turbine manufacturer Lagerwey recently said it will build the world's first hydrogen wind turbine, together with hydrogen supplier Hygro and research institute ECN.

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