Flywheel mechanical battery with 32 kWh of storage in Australia – pv magazine International

June 21, 2023 Bella Peacock

From pv journal Australia

New South Wales-based startup Key Power has put in an 8 kW/32 kWh three-phase flywheel mechanical vitality storage system at a property in Sawyers Valley, simply east of Perth.

The set up includes a flywheel, which saves vitality mechanically which suggests it has no threat of fireside, can run round 11,000 cycles with out capability degradation and has 20 years to 30 years of life. Whereas these techniques have low vitality density, they’re much extra steady than lithium-ion based mostly chemical batteries.

It is a main drawcard for Sawyers Valley property homeowners, who desire a system that does not pose a hearth hazard, that may energy their three-phase hundreds and supply vitality safety as a result of blackouts all the time have an effect on the realm.

The undertaking marks Key Power’s fourth set up, with two extra anticipated to be commissioned this yr. In whole, the corporate has put in round 16 flywheel techniques with over 300 kWh capability, together with in a boarding faculty and within the industrial off-grid gadget station of the APA Group.

Key Power says it goals to make use of this residential flywheel set up, in addition to future tasks, to qualify its know-how for Western Australia’s Stand Alone Energy System (SAPS) program, which is run by the state- owned utilities Western Energy and Horizon Energy. This system is a part of the state’s broader technique to interchange its tight regional community of poles and wires with renewable standalone options, which usually embrace photo voltaic arrays, batteries and last-resort diesel turbines. These techniques have been discovered by the state to be extra inexpensive and considerably scale back carbon emissions.

Flywheel battery techniques are normally put in underground – an extended and costly course of. Key Power beforehand labored with the College of Expertise, Sydney (UTS) to develop an above-ground enclosure for its storage techniques. Key Power says this has allowed it to shorten set up instances from one to 2 weeks with underground techniques to only two days on the Sawyers Valley undertaking.

Key Power says additionally it is growing further makes use of for the flywheel, paving the best way for digital energy crops (VPPs) that it believes will make the most of the flywheel system’s sturdy biking conduct and excessive life.

Key Power, based in 2018, relies within the Sydney suburb of Chippendale and has a check web site in close by Alexandria. Since launch, it has attracted funding from the New South Wales authorities, Metropolis of Sydney and Power Lab.

The Key Power flywheels are from US-headquartered firm Amber Kinetics, though the remainder of the battery system is believed to be made in Australia.