Grid-scale energy storage certification

ACCIONA receives the world’s first grid-scale energy storage certificate by DNV

Client
ACCIONA Energy is the biggest global energy company operating exclusively in the renewable energy sector, present in over 20 countries on five continents. It works significant with five technologies: wind, solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, hydroelectricity and biomass. The company operates almost 9,000 MW of own capacity, annually producing some 21 TWh of emission-free electricity, the equivalent of consumption by over six million homes.

The system
The plant in Barásoain, Navarra, Spain is equipped with a storage system that consists of two batteries located in separate containers: one fast-response battery of 1 MW/0.39 MWh and another slower-response battery with greater autonomy of 0.7 MW/0.7 MWh. Both have Samsung SDI Li-ion technology connected to a 3 MW AW116/300 wind turbine of ACCIONA Windpower (Nordex Group) technology, from which they capture the energy to be stored. The wind turbine is one of five that make up the Experimental Wind Farm at Barásoain, operated by the company since 2013. The entire system is managed by control software developed in-house by ACCIONA Energia and is monitored in real time by the company’s Renewable Energies Control Center (CECOER).

The certificate
First ever prototype system-level certificate for a grid-scale energy storage solution.

Benefits
In the near future, stakeholders involved in the approval and financing of storage systems worldwide will demand these certificates. By applying for certification from DNV, ACCIONA can guarantee that the plant fulfills all the conditions to operate with full confidence.