Hitachi ABB Power Grids and Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) have signed a contract to deliver one of Europe’s largest battery energy storage systems to the Olkiluoto NPP in Finland, TVO said on 16 June. The 90MW system will support the entire energy network at unit 3 of the Olkiluoto NPP, minimising the effect of power fluctuations on the grid. The turnkey solution acts as a fast-start backup power source. The battery energy storage system will be commissioned in 2022.

“By 2050, electricity will be the backbone of the entire energy system, said Matti Vaattovaara, Country Managing Director of Hitachi ABB Power Grids’ business in Finland. “Together with TVO, we are enabling the people of Finland to move towards a carbon neutral future. The energy revolution requires pioneering technologies and new intelligent solutions to ensure system flexibility and reliability. It is also vital for business activities and competitiveness that the future of our electricity system is stable and reliable. Battery energy storage of this scale and the growth in low-emission electricity production represent significant steps for the climate and contribute to Finland’s goal of carbon neutrality in 2035.”

“TVO’s contribution to national electricity production is growing, and the soon-to-be completed Olkiluoto 3 plant unit is a critical part of this effort,” said TVO Technical Director Sami Jakonen. “With this investment in battery energy storage, we are helping to ensure an uninterrupted electricity supply in Finland. The battery energy storage is used as backup power in the event of a disturbance in production at the nuclear power plant, until a replacement production method begins generating electricity. In this way, we ensure the reliable operation of the grid even in a situation in which a large amount of electricity would otherwise fall out of the grid capacity.”

Source: GSEF Newsletter, June 2021