Wemag in Germany powers up 5-MW battery for wind, solar integration

Sep 17, 2014 - Schwerin's green power supplier Wemag AG yesterday put on stream a 5-MW energy storage unit, using lithium-manganese oxide cells, which will allow the company to manage fluctuations caused by wind and solar power generation.

The facility is touted as Europe’s largest commercial battery power plant. It was designed and built by grid and storage specialists Younicos in 12 months. The project was backed with a development grant of EUR 1.3 million (USD 1.7m) from the German Environment Ministry.

Wemag’s chief technology officer, Thomas Paetzold, said that the company already sources 80% of its power from wind and solar parks. “We therefore feel committed to bringing to market new, more efficient solutions for the energy transition,” he noted. For now, the energy storage unit will be competing in the primary frequency regulation market. Paetzold said that in the future, the battery system will also offer reactive power and black start capability, thus bringing further economic advantages.

As part of the project, Younicos installed 25,600 lithium-manganese oxide cells, supplied by South Korea's Samsung SDI Co Ltd (SEO:006400), with guaranteed performance for 20 years.

Choose your newsletter by Renewables Now. Join for free!