34.8 MW/226.2 MWh Electric Energy Storage Systems for Terna, Italy

PROJECT SUMMARY
  • Project: SANC
  • Location: Campania, Italy
  • Application: Electric Energy Storage Systems for Italy’s national grid
NIDEC'S ROLE

Nidec ASI supplied Terna with 25 Power Conversion Systems (PCS) which together deliver 34.8 MW of energy storage. The PCS’s convert energy from AC to DC voltage and store it in batteries until it is needed.

Nidec ASI’s inverters are modular, enabling the company to configure each PCS according to each battery group’s needs. The charging and discharging of the batteries are controlled by separate DC/DC converters. The system is designed to optimize charging and discharging cycles to optimize renewable energy production.

Scope of Supply
  • Deliver separate control of active (P) and reactive (Q) power
  • Meet balancing, grid frequency and voltage regulations
  • Function in both black start and islanding mode
  • Provide control, monitoring and diagnostics of each PCS’s conversion cabinet
  • Link to Nidec ASI’s Scada system, Artics Smart Energy, which provides the control functions and monitoring tools to manage and optimize energy production
  • Operate in LVRT/OVRT mode
Campania, Italy
THE CHALLENGE
To enable Italy’s power grid to better accomodate renewable energy sources

In recent years, a considerable amount of solar, wind and other renewable — but fluctuating –energy resources have been added to Italy’s electrical power grid. The grid itself, however, has remained geared toward the needs of the traditional coalfired and nuclear power plants that operate continuously, resulting in inefficient use of available power. TERNA sought a way to stabilize the national grid, while improving its ability to absorb green power and balance energy output with demand.

THE SOLUTION
Electric Energy Storage Systems

To add flexibility to its existing grid, TERNA chose to create a system for storing excess energy in giant batteries for later use. The SANC project was developed to create three battery storage systems in southern Italty with a total capacity of 34.8 MWh. Designed to recover and store hundreds of gigawatts of power produced by wind farms, the systems not only increase the safety and efficiency of the electrical grid, but it would also help reduce energy costs and substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It would be the first large-scale battery energy storage system installation in European grid system.