Duke Energy to install 400KWh of new flow battery storage technology
US utility Duke Energy will be deploying a new battery energy storage technology developed by Honeywell in to expand its flexible energy and renewable energy portfolios.
The 400KWh system will be deployed at Duke Energy’s Mount Holly Microgrids Innovation facility in 2022. Duke will test the ability of the solution to speed up its transition from fossil-fuel power generation to renewables.
Honeywell claims its new flow battery is safe, cost-effective and provides long-duration energy storage compared to other technologies available on the market.
The new flow battery uses a non-flammable electrolyte that converts chemical energy to electricity to store energy for later use, while meeting the environmental, longevity and safety objectives of utilities, according to a statement.
The technology can store and discharge energy for up to 12 hours, a development that can enable utilities to store energy during times when renewables generation is high to meet demand during peak periods.
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The majority of lithium-ion-based batteries, the technology dominating the utility-scale storage market, can discharge power for up to 4hrs, according to a statement. This means the new flow is a huge milestone within the power sector and can help utilities to meet the growing demand for renewable energy.
Today, renewables represent 70% of all new power generation capacity that is being added onto the grid, according to Honeywell.
The market for long-duration energy storage is expected to grow to $13.7 billion by 2030 and 115GW of capacity is required to meet the growing demand for renewable energy, according to a statement.
In addition, Honeywell claims the new flow technology has a long life span of 20 years. Honeywell aims to deploy a utility-scale pilot project of 60-megawatt-hours starting in 2023.
Ben Owens, vice president and general manager, Honeywell Sustainable Technology Solutions, said long-duration energy storage such as the flow battery will help Duke Energy to meet its carbon-neutral goal. The utility has set a target to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels and to achieve zero emissions by 2050.
Tom Fenimore, director, Smart Grid Emerging Technology and Operations, added: “Duke Energy has followed flow battery technology for a number of years.
“Our Emerging Technology and Innovation Center is an ideal proving ground to study this technology. Over the next five years, Duke Energy plans to install almost 400 megawatts of battery storage capacity in our service territory. We have a keen interest in breakthrough technologies.”
