\n Emiliano Bellini<\/a><\/p>\n
A new initiative led by the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research<\/a> (TNO) aims to increase the use of long\u2011duration energy storage (LDES) solutions to address the country’s chronich grid congestion issues<\/a>.<\/p>\n Dubbed RenewaFLEXNL, the 3\u2011year project includes 17 partners from across the energy sector to test and integrate storage solutions that can hold renewable energy for hours, or even days, to better balance supply and demand.<\/p>\n \u201cExpected otputs include a national LDES deployment strategy, system\u2011level scenarios, and regulatory guidance to inform incentives, congestion management, and the recognition of LDES in markets and permitting\u2014supporting faster solar\u2011plus\u2011storage adoption in the Netherlands and serving as a model for other EU countries,\u201d the project coordinator, Iraxte Gonzalez Aparicio, told pv magazine. \u201cKey barriers include regulatory challenges, such as unclear storage roles, ownership, and market access; economic hurdles like Capex, revenue certainty, and contracting; and technical issues, including medium voltage (MV) and high voltage (HV) integration and standardized energy management and assurance.<\/p>\n \u201cTo address these, we provide legal recommendations, contract templates, and rollout strategies at both Dutch and EU levels,\u201d she went on to say. \u201cAnd although momentum is building, our assessment shows further steps are needed: clarify the legal status of storage, enable multi\u2011market participation for LDES, align tariffs with congestion value, and support first\u2011of\u2011a\u2011kind multi\u2011day projects to de\u2011risk Capex. Our deliverables are designed to support exactly these policy moves.\u201d<\/p>\n RenewaFLEXNL intends to fill these gaps by exploring technologies that could provide the flexibility needed for a fully renewable system. The project will run three pilot demonstrations that reflect real\u2011world energy system challenges. In the Port of Rotterdam, LDES will link offshore wind with industrial heat and electricity demand. In De Kwakel, greenhouses will use stored energy to reduce dependence on gas-fired combined heat and power. And in Altena, renewable generation will be coupled with storage to power electric truck charging and local heat supply.<\/p>\n A range of storage technologies will be tested, from saltwater flow batteries and iron\u2011air systems to hybrid thermal\u2011electric solutions combining heat pumps and water\u2011based storage. Beyond hardware, the project will evaluate system-level performance, economic feasibility, and potential regulatory frameworks that could support wider adoption of long\u2011duration storage.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will use the 8\u2013100 h range definining long\u2011duration storage, as it covers both day\u2011night shifting and multi\u2011day weather lulls that short\u2011duration batteries cannot address,\u201d Gonzalez Aparicio explained. \u201cThis duration is most effective at reducing curtailment and enhancing reliability in systems with high wind and solar penetration.\u201d<\/p>\n The consortium will initially test three Dutch LDES solutions: Aquabattery<\/a>, which is storage technology using just saltwater as the storage medium and is described as a flow battery that is able to independently amend power (kW) and energy (kWh) capacity; Ore Energy<\/a>, which is a 100-hour iron-air LDES solution; and\u00a0BB1 Project BV hybrid thermal and electrical long\u2011duration energy storage system that combines heat pumps, water\u2011based heat storage and sodium\u2011ion batteries with smart control to store renewable electricity as both heat and power for extended periods. <\/p>\n \u201cSelection of these technologies was based on the fact they rely on safe and abundant materials, fit for 8\u2013100h duty, and their integration potential with PV, wind and offtakers, as well as their bankability and assurance pathways,\u201d Gonzalez Aparicio said. \u201cFor multi\u2011day needs, iron\u2011air is promising on cost and duration, while flow batteries offer scalable, non\u2011critical materials and long lifetimes; thermal storage paired with electrified heat can be highly cost\u2011effective wherever heat demand is large.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe are also building an open energy management system (EMS) blueprint with modules for LDES control, hybrid operations, and a grid\u2011congestion model; it uses renewable generation forecasts and demand profiles to optimize when storage absorbs PV and wind surplus and when it dispatches to local loads or the grid,\u201d she added. \u201cThe EMS incorporates market signals and DSO\/TSO constraints, co\u2011optimizing behind\u2011the\u2011meter and front\u2011of\u2011the\u2011meter operation to avoid congestion while maximizing value stacking. We also develop assurance methods to ensure safe, predictable behavior alongside BMS\/converters.\u201d<\/p>\n The consortium brings together utilities, network operators, technology developers, academic partners and industry users, including Vattenfall<\/a>, Stedin, TU\/e, Aquabattery, Ore Energy, BB1 Project, and Energy Storage NL<\/a>.<\/p>\n This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tPopular content<\/p>\n
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