Battery solution for energy distributor

ABB, together with the Canton of Zurich’s power company (EKZ), has successfully installed a 1 MW power battery solution at the Dietikon Powerplant. The battery is integrated with ABB’s PCS100 ESS (Energy Storage System) and is said to be the largest of its kind to be installed in the Swiss distribution network. By improving power quality and grid stabilisation, the PCS100 ESS will help preserve 500 kWh of energy - the equivalent consumed by a four-person household in 40 days.

A reliable and efficient grid connection is key to this public utility. The prime function of ABB’s system is to provide a spinning reserve of power in the event of power plant or transmission line equipment failure.

By using power electronics and advanced control, the PCS100 ESS looks like a traditional synchronous machine to the power system. There are no large spinning masses. Even inertia can be modelled within the system, enabling it to deliver or draw power to and from the grid, dependent on the system frequency and rate of change. Should the grid supply be lost the system can detect this, disconnect from the grid and shut down.

The solutions included a frequency converter that uses efficient power semiconductor technology to convert the AC supply into DC for use via the battery, and vice versa. The battery is equipped with ABB control and protection systems. Based on the input parameters and the defined equipment footprint, it was decided to package the system in a freestanding outdoor enclosure.

This technology enables power plants, like the Dietikon Powerplant in Switzerland, to operate at their full potential without the interruption of voltage sags and swells.