News

Temporary Energy Storage Speeds Commissioning of Wind Farms

September 23, 2018 by Paul Shepard

Aggreko has combined its mobile, modular power solutions into a one-stop option for the wind industry, which now includes storage solutions. Developers and operators of wind farms around the world can now choose from a complete suite of Aggreko temporary power solutions, including energy storage systems from its microgrid and energy storage division, Younicos.

A custom-designed bundle of batteries, generators, load banks and other equipment will help ensure cost-effective and timely project commissioning, as well as optimal system and market integration of new wind farms.

“We’re very pleased to announce this one-stop solution that leverages expertise from across Aggreko. Our job is to help developers maximize value by providing the most efficient commissioning and market integration of their assets. Specifically, our offer combines Aggreko’s well-known system commissioning expertise with Younicos’ decade-long experience in integrating wind farms with energy storage,” stated Karim Wazni, Managing Director of Younicos.

“Batteries are one of the most versatile assets in the power industry, capable of providing a number of critical services at once. In addition, our mobile and modular units can be deployed both easily and early to new wind sites, achieving a number of benefits from fuel-efficient power generation to testing during commissioning. They can then help bridge grid connection or alleviate grid constraints, and even integrate the clean energy more effectively into markets in the long term,” added Wazni.

The first project to take advantage of the full suite of Aggreko and Younicos solutions was the world’s first floating wind farm Hywind in Scotland. Aggreko offered power generation services during the construction phase of the project, while Younicos has deployed a battery system there, which will help integrate wind power into both energy markets and the grid.

Both Aggreko and Younicos have contributed to significant milestones of the wind industry: Aggreko helped commission the first offshore wind farm in the U.S. in 2016, Deepwater Wind’s Block Island. Younicos holds the record for integrating the largest battery resource with a wind farm (Notrees in Texas) and has successfully incorporated energy storage into high wind penetration grids around the world, from Alaska to Northern Europe.

Aggreko’s full-service solution for wind farms includes customized bundles based on customer needs, with:

  • Efficient system planning and design
  • Power and cooling systems for site surveys/pre-construction
  • Power and fuel management for construction sites
  • Commissioning load banks, generators and transformers for testing
  • System operation and maintenance
  • Temporary power supply and climate management
  • Market modeling, planning, and in future optimised trading strategy and network integration for battery storage.

Aggreko already provides temporary power, load banks and other necessary equipment to wind farms for commissioning, and now includes plug-and-play containerized batteries with intelligent Younicos Y.Q software.