Galp and Powin Deliver Utility-Scale Battery System to Alcoutim Solar Park
- Alcoutim solar plant will be able to store energy in periods of excess production to sell it to the grid when it is most needed, maximizing its value.
- The battery system, in sunny southern Portugal, is Galp’s first storage unit and Powin’s first unit in Europe.
ALCOUTIM, Portugal & PORTLAND, Ore.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Galp, Portugal’s leading integrated energy company, and Powin, a U.S. based global energy storage integrator, completed the commissioning and injected the first electrons of stored energy to the grid from a utility-scale battery energy storage system at Galp’s largest solar power plant in the country.
Installed near Alcoutim, in the southern region of the Algarve, the 5 MW/20 MWh battery system, Powin’s first project in Europe, enhances the site’s ability to dispatch renewable energy to the grid when it needs it most and optimizes grid stability, thus becoming an important tool in the expanding market for grid system services.
With a combined capacity of 144 MW, the plants in the Alcoutim region produce enough energy to power 80,000 homes while avoiding 75,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year.
Georgios Papadimitriou, Galp’s Executive Vice-President of Renewables, New Business, and Innovation, said:
We are leaping ahead in the learning curve, managing complex energy systems and offering a new range of services and opportunities to customers, while contributing to a stable and sustainable energy system,
Brian Kane, Chief Projects Officer at Powin, said:
This project represents a critical step in Powin’s journey as we expand internationally to meet the growing demand for energy storage solutions in Europe,
“By partnering with forward-thinking organizations like Galp and leveraging high-performance converter technology from Hitachi Energy, we’ve demonstrated our ability to deliver reliable and innovative solutions that help decarbonize the grid.”
The battery energy storage project utilizes Powin’s Centipede Stack750 and a power conversion system from Hitachi Energy, underscoring the importance of partnership between global companies in supporting Europe’s energy transition.
Alberto Prieto, Head of Power Conversion Solutions for Hitachi Energy, said:
We appreciate the ongoing relationship with Powin and Galp,
“Our converters remain the prime choice for IPPs and integrators seeking grid stability and flexibility, along with digital enablement for operations and business processes for a more sustainable and secure grid.”
Galp is one of the main producers of photovoltaic solar energy in the Iberian Peninsula, with 1.5 GW of installed renewable generation capacity and 400 MW new renewable capacity to be installed by 2026.
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Galp and Powin Deliver Utility-Scale Battery System to Alcoutim Solar Park, source
