DONG Energy (www.dongenergy.com) has announced plans to integrate a battery system into its Burbo Bank offshore wind farm (located in Liverpool Bay) by the end of the year.

The addition of the 2MW battery system will enhance the capability of the 90MW wind farm and help keep the grid stable at 50Hz.

DONG Energy presented this solution as part of its R&D conference at Offshore Wind 2017 earlier this month. Frequency response is a mechanism used by National Grid to help manage grid stability. The frequency of the grid is a continuously changing variable, which must remain close to 50Hz.

If the frequency was to deviate from specified limits, it would affect everything plugged into the grid, from home appliances to power stations. The ability to inject or reduce bursts of active power allows the grid to rapidly respond to changes in frequency.

Richard Smith, head of network capability (electricity) for National Grid said: “As Great Britain’s energy mix changes, we know that ensuring a safe and stable supply of energy into the future will require more-flexible services.

I’m looking forward to seeing how the DONG Energy solution of storage connected to the offshore wind farm will provide services to help us respond to day-to-day operational challenges and maintain the frequency of 50Hz on Great Britain’s electricity system.”

Ole Kjems Sørensen, senior vice-president at DONG Energy (wind power), said: “We are excited to use battery technology to demonstrate this wind power and battery hybrid capability.

“With eight existing offshore wind farms in the UK and another four under construction, we expect to leverage further technology improvements and innovations and ensure that DONG Energy supports the stability of grid systems, as generation capacity becomes cleaner and more sustainable.”

Burbo Bank offshore wind farm has been fully operational since 2007; it is capable of meeting the electricity needs of up to 80,000 UK homes.