Name of Project:

Saft Li-ion battery energy storage harnesses wind power in Saskatchewan, Canada

Location:

Saskatchewan, Canada  

Application:

Renewable Integration  

Owner:

Saft  

Developer/Operator:

Cowessess First Nation  

Suppliers:

N/A  

Funding:

Canadian government bodies  

Date:

Early 2013 

Opportunity

Saft’s successes in integrating energy storage systems (ESS) with renewable energy installations provide the perfect foundation for the Cowessess First Nation (CFN) project to demonstrate the benefits of lithium-ion (Li-ion) energy storage in enhancing the value of wind energy. In 2012, CFN was selected as one of 20 Clean Energy Fund (CEF) projects to receive funding from various Canadian government bodies to support the development of the High Wind and Storage Project. Saft’s technology provides the ideal solution to reduce greenhouse gas emission through sustainable energy development. It also contributes to the project’s objective to optimize wind power performance by decreasing volatility by up to 70 percent over the 15-year lifespan of the system. Saft’s Li-ion energy storage technology helps demonstrate the durability and reliability of wind turbines.  

Approach

Working with the Saskatchewan Research Council, CFN undertook at five year, $5.5 million High Wind and Storage Project comprised of an 800kW wind turbine twinned with Saft’s Li-ion ESS. Saft supplied two Intensium® Max 20E systems with one MWh total capacity. The system’s flexibility and scalability allow energy content to be increased in 124kWh increments. Each ESS includes a state-of-the-art 400kW power conditioning system and is housed in an industrial container that easily plugs into the grid.

Results 

With Saft’s Li-ion technology in place, the CFN is now able to perform wind smoothing and achieve a maximum ramp rate of 10 percent per minute of the related power output. The wind turbine twinned with Saft’s ESS provides up to 400 kWh of peak shaving capability. While providing more renewable power to the grid, the system is reducing electrical production costs. It even has the potential to lower electrical rates since Saft’s technology can be charged during off-peak periods and the energy dispatched when demand is at a peak. CFN and Saft’s collaboration is a model for other First Nation communities across Canada. If the project’s long-term performance meets expectations, wind energy storage technology is predicted to be cost competitive with energy from clean coal or clean natural gas.

For more information, please visit http://www.saftbatteries.com/.