Irish data centre batteries to provide backup power for grid stability

Companies Enel X Global Retail and Digital Realty will collaborate to utilise data centre batteries to help balance the Irish power grid.

The partnership sees Digital Realty, a global provider of cloud- and carrier-neutral data centre, colocation, and interconnection solutions, enhance its uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems by using integrated batteries to provide balancing services that support grid stability.

According to Digital Realty in a release, this innovative solution enables more renewable energy to be fed into the Irish power grid while allowing it to operate reliably.

As more wind power comes online in Ireland, fluctuations in grid frequency are inevitable due to the dynamic nature of wind power generation and fluctuations in power demand on the grid.

Digital Realty says its UPS systems are designed to seamlessly respond to these fluctuations by swiftly redirecting loads from the grid to batteries in real-time. This adaptive approach plays a crucial role in preserving grid stability, ensuring that grid frequency stays within established operational thresholds.

“Data centres are designed with efficiency front of mind, however, it’s crucial to acknowledge the complexity of integrating renewable energy sources into Ireland’s power grid”, said Séamus Dunne, managing director of Digital Realty in the UK and Ireland, in a release.

“With this partnership, Digital Realty is using its data centre assets in an innovative way to support more renewables on the grid and reduce carbon emissions. We’re thrilled to collaborate with Enel X on this transformative project, boosting the reliability of the power grid throughout Ireland.”

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The battery banks housed within Digital Realty’s data centres in Ireland serve as backup power sources for emergencies. The batteries have undergone testing and approval to provide backup power to the grid, enabling it to increase the use of clean wind power while simultaneously reducing its dependence on fossil fuel power plants during periods of high demand.

Typically, the addition of one megawatt (MW) of power to the dynamic frequency programme has the potential to save the grid approximately 4,000 tonnes of CO₂ per annum.

Initially, Digital Realty has integrated 6MW of UPS capacity into the programme. When the remaining available capacity is included, it is expected to help the grid save more than 30,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually, depending on customer load.

Said John Byrne, head of operations for the UK and Ireland at Enel X: “Electricity grids of the future will become increasingly reliant on the formation of mutually beneficial relationships between user, technology and local regulations.

“By adopting this mindset, the infrastructure network that data centre owners create to support their own operations could also provide valuable resilience to the grid operator that enables it to fulfil the green energy needs of a growing population and economy.

“Digital Realty is paving the way for other large energy consumers to become part of the solution to the challenges facing our electricity grid today and into the future.”

According to Digital Realty, they are the first global colocation provider to participate in this initiative in Ireland, the pilot of which initially took place in September last year.