Energy-saving battery storage system inaugurated in Plymouth

6th June 2018

Anna Flockett

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Plessey has announced the opening of a new 2MW behind the meter (BTM) battery storage solution installed at its flagship manufacturing and R&D site in Plymouth, Devon. The project was completed by KiWi Power. This project follows KiWi Power’s success in building two other BTM battery storage systems in the UK. The company is targeting an extensive roll-out of similar BTM projects for high energy users particularly in the commercial and industrial sectors.

The 2MW Tesla battery is controlled by KiWi Power’s proprietary hardware and software platform called KiWi Fruit.

The battery power will earn revenue by fulfilling a frequency response balancing contract with National Grid and help to reduce energy costs for Plessey by providing optimal peak-shaving of power supply in response to fluctuations in demand. Amber Infrastructure Limited provided funding for the project.

Yoav Zingher, CEO of KiWi Power said: “This installation is further proof of KiWi’s ability to develop, build and operate fully-funded BTM batteries,’ comments Yoav Zingher, CEO of KiWi Power. ‘The Plessey BTM battery follows the success of our other battery projects and is highly complementary to the revenue earning services we already provide to large energy users through demand side response.”

Mike Snaith, Operations Director of Plessey Semiconductors, said: “We are pleased to be jointly-announcing one of the first BTM installations of this type in the UK. It is good to know our considerable power consumption can be utilised to help stabilise the National Grid supply by delivering a reliable and sustainable power source. Batteries are an increasingly necessary part of the decarbonisation of the UK’s electricity supply.”

An official opening ceremony of the 2MW BTM battery was held on 5^th June with attendees including Professor Deborah Greaves (Head of the School of Engineering and the School of Computing, Electronics and Mathematics) at Plymouth University.

Tom O’Shaughnessy of Amber Infrastructure said: "Behind the Meter battery technology makes huge sense for large energy users. As part of our strategy for the creation of pathfinding sustainable energy projects we hope the BTM battery here at Plessey will encourage further development of BTM projects increasing the flexibility of the electricity network”