One of Europe's largest battery energy storage systems is to be built at the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant in Finland under a contract signed by Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) and Hitachi ABB Power Grids. The 90 MWe system will act as a fast-start backup power source to ensure the stability of the country's energy network in the event of an unplanned shutdown of the Olkiluoto 3 (OL3) EPR unit, currently being commissioned at the site.

The Olkiluoto plant in western Finland (Image: TVO)

The agreement with TVO includes an e-mesh PowerStore energy storage solution as well as an intelligent digital e-mesh SCADA energy management system, substation expansion and maintenance support. The battery energy storage system is scheduled to be commissioned in 2022.

The OL3 plant, construction of which began in 2005, is scheduled to be connected to the grid in October this year and to begin regular electricity production in February 2022. Once the new unit is in operation, the Olkiluoto plant is expected to generate about 30% of Finland's electricity.

"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 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 replacing production method is 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."

Matti Vaattovaara, country managing director of Hitachi ABB Power Grids' business in Finland, added: "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."

Researched and written by World Nuclear News