The microgrid has been designed to test scalability and improve power stability and has been initiated by Chugach Electric Association, Inc., The small scale project aims to identify technologies that will enable the integration of more renewables, including wind power from a 17 megawatt (MW) wind farm on Fire Island, located about 4 km off the coast of Anchorage, which will work in concert with the innovative storage solution.
ABB’s modular and containerised microgrid solution PowerStore will blend the complementary capabilities of two storage technologies, flywheel and battery storage. The flywheel will facilitate the integration of fluctuating wind power and the battery will be used for long-term storage. The battery has a capacity of 500 kilowatt hours with a maximum performance of 2 MW. The ABB advanced Microgrid Plus control system will monitor the hybrid storage solution and ensure proper load sharing between the two storage mediums. It is also equipped for remote service and maintenance.
“We are delighted to partner with a visionary utility like Chugach Electric, to build this microgrid which incorporates a hybrid storage solution to enhance reliability of power supply” said Massimo Danieli, Managing Director of ABB’s Grid Automation business unit, a part of the company’s Power Grids division. “Integration of renewables is a key element of the Energy Revolution and a major focus area of our Next Level strategy.”
Paul Risse, Senior Vice President, Power Supply at Chugach Electric, added that the innovative solution shows how energy storage technology can boost renewable energy penetration in Alaska, with far reaching implications for new on the Railbelt as well as in smaller Alaskan communities.
Chugach Electric Association is a leading electric utility, headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska's largest city, and home to half the people in the largest, most sparsely populated state in the US.
ABB is a pioneer in microgrid technology with around 40 installations all over the world, across a diverse range of applications serving remote communities, islands, utilities and industrial campuses.
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