China's Largest and First Environmentally-friendly Battery Storage Station is in Service

China Southern Power Grid (CSG) -- the second largest utility company in the world -- has completed construction of China's largest battery energy storage station (ESS) as well as the World's first megawatt-level, grid-connected, environmentally-friendly, Iron-phosphate (Fe) battery storage station for commercial use, integrating BYD technology. Chinese CSG officials reported, "This Energy Storage Station is capable of charging or discharging over 12 Mega-Watt-hours or 3 Mega-Watts for 4 hours off of or onto the grid -- this is an outstanding accomplishment!" BYD's Chairman, Chuanfu Wang, notes that BYD is at the cutting edge of "a new energy revolution" across China and aims to "lead the world in installing environmentally-sound, battery energy storage systems."

Called the "Shenzhen Baoqing Battery Energy Storage Station," this CSG ESS is located in the Longgang District of Shenzhen City and is tied to a 110 Kilo-Volt (KV) substation supporting the rapidly growing Biling Industrial Park. The system's enabling technology is the BYD Fe (Iron-Phosphate) batteries, BYD's BMS (Battery Management System), a PCS (Power Conversion System) and an energy storage data station which monitors and controls the system to ensure holistic and efficient utilization. The multiple functions of the ESS include:

-- Load-following/Load Leveling or charging during the grid's lowest-usage-periods (i.e. night-time) which make other generation sources like ICE, Coal or Nuclear much more efficient (since the night usage of these stations may be as low as 40% utilized, but they still must run all night);

-- Dispatchable energy during periods of high demand to peak-shave (i.e. day-time spikes in demand);

-- FRR/power quality services to allow millisecond fast frequency adjustments on the grid caused by irregular sources (like wind or solar or power outages) and RRI/ramp-rate control and arbitrage for large renewable installations attached to the grid;

-- Electricity balancing and regulating voltages (reactive power/VAR support) on the grid due to irregular sources like named above;

-- Back-up power sources which guarantees distributed power supply closer to demand consumption during crucial events (e.g. summer outages and cascading regional brown outs which could shut down production and commerce).

The Baoqing Battery Energy Storage Station is in its first stage of implementation (with 3MW maximum output for 4 hour duration), but was designed to eventually have a 10MW output for 4 hours (40 -- 50 MWh) with over a 25 year service life before battery replacements may be needed. The next phases will expand the station's power output step-by-step. BYD and CSG are hoping this real-world application and their partnership will promote the rapid development and implementation of distributed, environmentally-friendly, high-tech, energy storage solutions across the World.

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