The third largest electrical energy storage facility in Finland will be built at EPV Energy’s Teuva wind farm and is scheduled for completion in the spring of 2023. The power capacity of this electrical energy storage facility will be 12 megawatts and its energy capacity will be 12 megawatt-hours. The new electrical energy storage facility will excellently support EPV Energy’s New Electricity Revolution® strategy, which has renewable electricity at its core. As more and more electricity is produced from renewable energy, the storage is needed. Different energy storage solutions support and bring flexibility to the electricity system.
On the 21st of April 2022, EPV Energy signed a contract with a Dutch battery supplier for the supply of an electrical energy storage system. The components will arrive at the installation site in late autumn of this year and commissioning will take place during the spring of 2023.
The benefits of a new electrical energy storage facility in the electricity system are manifold. The fast battery response time makes it suitable for a wide range of applications. First and foremost, the new battery system will serve as a strong risk management tool in the company’s production portfolio. At the same time, it contributes to building additional renewable energy capacity.
“The battery storage facility will enable more flexibility and bring much-needed, fast balancing power to the power system. If, for example, we were to experience a major grid failure or an energy production resource were to drop out of the grid unexpectedly, the battery energy storage facility would secure the balance of the electricity system,” says Niko Toppari, Managing Director of EPV Akkuhybridi Oy.
With the green transition, the share of renewable energy in the electricity grid will increase dramatically. However, as an unregulated form of generation, renewable energy needs to be balanced by controllable electricity production and consumption. Energy storage also adds to the flexibility which the system needs.
“Over the past winter, fossil fuel energy prices have risen significantly and, as the green transition has accelerated, the considerable price fluctuations in the electricity market are increasing. The balance management toolbox must therefore include solutions that will enable flexibility in the production portfolio alongside weather-dependent energy production, not only now but also into the future,” Toppari says.
The construction project for the electricity storage facility has already begun with the building of the foundations at the wind farm. Now that spring is here, the work will progress quickly. The main components of the electric battery will be brought to the installation site as complete units and will be connected to the existing substation after installation. The battery is expected to be in commercial use by spring next year. The electrical energy storage facility will be controlled from EPV Energy’s Operations Centre.
This new electricity storage facility in Teuva will use the latest battery technology.
“This is a new, more modular solution whose batteries are delivered in smaller, more flexible units instead of the traditional large marine containers. The modules make for a more efficient way to tailor capacity to the customer’s needs,” Toppari explains.
EPV Akkuhybridi Oy is wholly owned by EPV Energy Ltd, which is a Finnish energy company that generates and procures approximately 5% of all the electricity consumed in Finland. The company generates and acquires electricity and heat for its shareholders, i.e. Finnish energy companies, and is also one of the most noteworthy electricity transmitters in Finland. EPV Energy has 70 years of experience in responsible energy generation. We focus on emission-free and reliable energy generation with determination and purpose, and aim to achieve carbon-neutral electricity generation by 2030. We are already making good progress in this regard, as demonstrated by the fact that in 2021, the share of zero-emission sources in EPV Energy’s electricity generation was 84.2%. EPV Energy’s turnover in 2021 was EUR 440 million and at the end of the year it employed 118 people. www.epv.fi
For more information contact: Niko Toppari, Managing Director of EPV Akkuhybridi Oy, tel. +358 10 5055 069
Photo: Christoffer Björklund, EPV’s wind farm in Torkkola, Vaasa
