Battery Fire at Kahuku Wind-Energy Storage Farm

Energy storage may seem like the wind of change, with the potential to firstly, transform variable renewable energy sources like wind and photovoltaics into base load power, secondly change the way utilities price and buy energy, and thirdly, serve as a natural solution for fragile island grids.

However, thus far, the potential of energy storage (other than pumped hydro) remains just that — potential. Instead, suppliers in the electrochemical battery storage industry are undergoing a rough maturation period.

The recent battery room fire that erupted at the wind-energy storage farm in Kahuku is one such example.

“A smoke alarm went off” early Wednesday morning on the north shore of Oahu Hawai’i, at the 12-turbine, 30 megawatt Kahuku wind farm, according to an Xtreme Power spokesperson. Developed by First Wind, Kahuku is augmented with a 15-megawatt battery from VC-funded Xtreme Power and sells power to the island utility, HECO.

Xtreme’s “chemical capacitor” storage technology is meant to match lithium-ion battery performance, by using all dry and inert materials that can operate at room temperatures, unlike the current leading grid-scale technology of sodium sulfur batteries.

Source and Read More

  

If you want to know more about this and other topics directly from end users of energy storage technologies join us at one of these annual events: The Energy Storage World Forum (Grid Scale Applications), or The Residential Energy Storage Forum, or one of our Training Courses.

LATEST ARTICLES

Product Development: Embracing product safety and compliance

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT: EMBRACING PRODUCT SAFETY AND COMPLIANCE Recent safety incidents on storage plants have raised concerns about the fire safety of battery storage systems. Such events are extremely rare compared to the cumulated global deployments of energy storage systems, which have reached more than 27 GWh by end of 2020 (Wood Mackenzie 2021). However, for…

Read More

Ultracapacitor UPS (U-UPS) for voltage dips and micro-interruptions

Power interruptions are the most frequent power supply problems with wide-ranging consequences for industry. The causes of these interruptions include short-circuits in the distribution grid, lightning strikes, the connection and disconnection of power plants as well as volatile energy producers such as wind and solar. Because technologies and production processes are becoming increasingly complex, the…

Read More

★REVIEWS

“Probably the most interactive and well organized storage event on the calendar.”

★★★★★

Sales Director, S&C

“Great topics, competent speakers, good networking: keep it like that.”

★★★★★

TLC & SCADA Manager, FRI-EL

“High scientific content, well targeted, perfect organization.”

★★★★★

Expert Technical & Governance, Elia

Excellent networking event. The sponsorship was well worth it.”

★★★★★

Manager, ATL

View More

x