Flexible energy generation specialist Ylem Energy has installed the UK’s very first 1MW battery energy storage system alongside an existing landfill-gas generator to enable the site to participate in the National Grid’s Balancing Mechanism.
Located at Yorwaste’s now-mothballed Harewood Whin landfill site on the outskirts of York, the 1MW (1.2MWh) battery is charged by the existing on-site generation system and allows the power stored to be readily available at short notice to meet the demands of the network as required.
The battery technology, developed by Dowell – a leading global provider, is supplied in the UK by Ylem Energy under an exclusive deal. Rated at 1MW, the system can store and supply some 1.2 MWh of power – which would be the equivalent energy required to power around 2,400 average homes for one hour.*
Ian Gadsby, Ylem Energy’s managing director, said: “These new technologies are playing an increasing role in helping the UK energy sector continue its process of decentralisation and meet its ambitious targets for reducing carbon emissions – by helping integrate low and zero-carbon generation technologies such as renewables into the grid.”
“This project at Harewood Whin perfectly demonstrates this approach and we’re well underway in repeating this with further energy-efficient and sustainable flexible generation system projects. This not only allows us to provide network resilience that helps balance the system, but we’re helping reduce industrial and commercial clients’ reliance on costly peak-time energy tariffs as a wider package of measures both in front of and behind their electricity meters.”
Ylem Energy has selected an innovative aggregation specialist and Virtual Power Platform to optimise the energy output across a range of different applications including power trading markets and ancillary services such as National Grid’s Frequency Response programme.
Further similar projects are in development, including a series of gas peaking plants currently being constructed at UK sites.
* 1.2 MWh of battery energy stored could supply around 2,400 homes for one hour: (https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/ofgem-publications/76160/13537-elecgenfactsfspdf )
