Published: 25 Jan 2021, 12:29
Wärtsilä will provide grid balancing services and reserve power to Scotland’s Shetland Islands with the supply of its advanced 8 MW/6 MWh energy storage system to the Lerwick Power Station. ©SSEN
Technology group Wärtsilä is to deliver an 8MW/6MWh energy storage system on the Shetland Islands in Scotland.
The system will be installed at the Lerwich Power Station for Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution, which will use it for balancing services and reserve power for the islands.
The agreement builds on a “long-lasting business relationship” between Wärtsilä and SSEN said Bent Iversen, senior business development manager at Wärtsilä Energy.
“We are very pleased to continue this cooperation by deploying our advanced energy storage system at Lerwick Power Station, which makes us part of Shetland Islands’ energy system. The GridSolv Max energy storage solution will support the power station’s spinning reserve functionality and can provide black start back-up,” Iversen said.
Under a full engineering, procurement and construction contract, Wärtsilä will deliver the system including the company’s GridSolv Max product. This is a standardised energy solution that provides modular storage, including batteries, a safety and fire system and inverters, as well as the proprietary energy management platform GEMS.
Wärtsilä will provide maintenance for the software and hardware components through a ten year service agreement.
Lerwich is the main generator of electricity on the island, and the storage system will provide spinning reserve capacity as well as facilitate an increase in wind generation on the island.
SSEN Distribution is investing in Lerwich to secure power until Shetland is connected to the GB grid, explained Darren Hitchin, embedded generation manager at the power station.
“A reliable supply of electricity is essential to the local community and the North Sea oil companies operating out of Shetland, which is 200 kilometres from the northern tip of Scotland. The Wärtsilä energy storage system will enhance the islands’ security of supply, while at the same time lowering our carbon footprint.”
This system will be delivered by mid-summer 2021, said Wärtsilä, before becoming fully operational in September.
The agreement with SSEN Distribution follows a contract signed by the company with Pivot Power in 2020 for 100MW of storage systems in the UK.