U.S. Tries First Large Scale Battery for Load Leveling

A vanadium redox commercial energy battery will help the U.S. utility, PacifiCorp, to provide power in a remote area of southeastern Utah.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (CA) 2002-02-13 [SolarAccess.com] Vanteck Technology Corp has signed an agreement to supply PacifiCorp with a 250kW-2,000kWh Vanadium Energy Storage System in the first large-scale use of the technology in North America. The VESS unit, which will be modular and relocatable in design, will be used by PacifiCorp to supply peak power capacity and provide end of line voltage support in a remote area of the state. Installation and commissioning of the VESS unit is scheduled to be completed by June. The stored energy and voltage support available through the unit lets PacifiCorp maintain reliable electric service in the area, while deferring the need to build a new substation. Because the unit is portable, it can be moved to another location as needed in the future. The technology has been on large scale use in Japan and South Africa. Vanteck is commercializing the Vanadium redox energy storage technology based on an Australian, patented redox flow regenerative fuel cell which converts chemical energy into electrical energy. “Cost-effective large scale reliable energy storage is becoming critical for highly reliable AC and DC power supply, particularly at the distributed end of the market,” says Vanteck CEO Rodney Duncan. “There is a growing demand for uninterrupted backup power for ride-through, peak-shaving, uninterruptible power and quality power which the Vanadium redox energy storage technology addresses.” PacifiCorp is a subsidiary of the British utility, Scottish Power, and provides electric service to 1.5 million customers in Utah, Wyoming, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and California. With a service area of 135,000 square miles, it has one of the most extensive transmission systems in the U.S. It generates 8,000 MW from wind turbines and geothermal steam, as well as coal, hydro and gas-fired combustion turbines.