Acciona SA, (www.acciona.com) a leading renewable-energy developer, has opened its first wind energy battery storage plant in Spain.

Located in Barasoain (Navarre province), the energy storage system was installed at a grid-connected wind farm to show how batteries can help boost the penetration of renewable energy in the transmission system and optimise the management of the energy produced.

The system includes two batteries housed in separate containers. The first one is a fast-response 1MW/0.39MWh battery that can maintain 1MW of power for 20min; the second is a slower-response battery of 0.7MW/0.7MWh that can maintain 0.7MW for one hour.

The project uses Samsung’s Li-ion SDI technology and works together with a 3MW AW116/3000 wind turbine. This is one of five that make up the Experimental Wind Farm at Barasoain, operated by the company since 2013.

Acciona has developed its own control software for the plant, plus a simulation program that can dimension and optimise storage systems for integration into wind farms.

The project has received funding from the European Regional Development Fund.