Food and beverage industry: Malteurop
At the beginning of 2020, EDF Renewables and malt producer Malteurop started operating two battery storage systems in Rostock and Heidenau. Each battery is designed to supply the respective production plant with 200 kW for at least one hour. The storage system can adapt the plant's energy consumption to changing network conditions, thereby saving the company grid fees and making an important contribution to an effective energy transition in Germany.
The peak-shaving process: batteries are installed behind the meter, so directly integrated into Malteurop's power grid. When a load peak occurs, the power is supplied internally by the charged battery instead of being drawn from the overall power network. This flattens the load peak and since the electricity price is also calculated on the basis of the annual peak value, battery storage systems reduce grid fees and in consequence bottom line operating costs.
Battery storage is a game changer for the energy transition in Germany. In the context of both the planned grid expansion and boost of renewable energy sources, the aim is to make electricity available locally respectively regionally. Plus, storage solutions help to reduce load peaks so stabilize the overall network, ensuring a reliable power supply for all consumers at any given time.
Metal industry: Speira
In November 2021, the installation of the EDF Renewables battery storage system was completed at the Speira aluminium rolling and recycling company in Hamburg. In future, 272 battery modules will provide 1.6 MW of power for one hour - enough power to support the grid operator in stabilising the electricity grid with the help of intelligent load management.
At the same time, the use of battery storage reduces the company's electricity costs.
Many industrial companies cannot simply interrupt or throttle their production processes to reduce peak loads (peak shaving) or postpone them. Batteries enable so-called atypical grid use by storing electricity and making it available to the company during the periods defined by the grid operator (peak times).
Grid tariffs account for an average of 20 percent of total electricity costs. This share can be reduced by load shifting or peak shaving - which grid operators reward with reduced fees.
In addition, battery storage systems make a significant contribution to the success of the energy transition: They reduce the costs of electricity transport because they can be used regionally or locally and help to keep the electricity system controllable in view of the increasing share of renewable energies with weather-related fluctuating yields.
