ACCIONA Energía installs BESS at Extremadura I-II-III photovoltaic plant

The facility features two containers with a combined capacity of 2 MW/5 MWh, which will store part of the energy generated by the solar plant and optimise its injection into the electricity grid.

The batteries used in the project include second-life units from Silence electric vehicles and new electric car batteries. This combination will make it possible to analyse the performance and behaviour of recycled batteries compared with new ones, helping to promote and advance the circular economy. The analysis will be carried out through a joint innovation project with the startup BeePlanet, which specialises in the integration of energy storage systems reusing lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles.

Battery energy storage systems are key to maximising the use of renewable energies. They allow the capture of excess energy generated by intermittent sources, such as solar or wind, and release it at peak demand times or in the event of disturbances in the electricity system.

In addition, these systems help reinforce grid stability and improve the reliability and resilience of energy supply, offering a solution to unforeseen or exceptional situations that generate unexpected peaks in demand, such as cold or heat waves, blackouts, etc.

The use of recycled Silence electric vehicles batteries, extending their life cycle beyond their original purpose in vehicles, is a tangible example of circular economy and resource reuse. Instead of becoming waste at the end of their life in mobility applications, these batteries are transformed into a valuable resource for storing clean electricity, reducing the environmental impact of producing new batteries and fostering more efficient and responsible resource management.

ACCIONA Energía has been leading the development of innovative battery storage solutions for more than ten years, including pioneering the use of recycled batteries. In 2017, it marked a milestone by inaugurating in Barasoain (Navarra) the first hybrid battery electricity storage plant integrated into a grid-connected wind farm in Spain. This was followed in 2021 by the connection of the first renewable storage plant with recycled batteries at its experimental photovoltaic plant in Tudela (Navarra).

In 2023, the company consolidated its international leadership with Cunningham, a 190 MW energy storage battery with a capacity of 380 MWh per cycle, making it the largest of its kind on the Texas grid. In addition, in the coming months it will begin construction of two other batteries, Adelite (230 MW/460 MWh) and Coneflower (170 MW/340 MWh), also in the state of Texas.

These milestones reflect ACCIONA Energía's commitment to energy transition, sustainability and innovation, offering solutions that lead the way to a cleaner and more efficient future.

For more news and technical articles from the global renewable industry, read the latest issue of Energy Global magazine.

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