March 27, 2014
Sumitomo Electric Industries will supply a 60-mega-watt-hour storage battery system to stabilize the flow of wind and solar power on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido.
The system will be set up at Hokkaido Electric Power Co.’s Minami Hayakita substation in the town of Abira. Commissioning is planned for March 2015.
The system, using vanadium redox flow battery technology, will increase the utility’s capacity for wind and solar by about 40 MW. The project is supported by a $203 million investment from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Meanwhile, American Vanadium plans to sell its CellCube redox flow battery to American utility companies, following NREL testing of the unit.
CellCube is a fully commercial system that has been sold and installed across Europe, Asia and Africa, with more than 50 systems now operating worldwide.
The CellCube system is modular and can serve loads from 10 kilowatts upwards, providing energy for long-duration requirements.
The redox flow battery uses vanadium electrolytes separated by a proton exchange membrane. The battery’s capacity is limited only by the size of the tanks holding the electrolyte.