Background
In order to keep up with the renewable and volatile energy targets, new and efficient energy storage systems are needed. Currently, however, there is no storage technology that meets all requirements in terms of performance, energy content (long-term and short-term storage), efficiency, availability and costs.
Therefore, innovative storage concepts are required to meet these various needs. One such concept involves combining different storage technologies to create a hybrid storage system that can better meet the different requirements, while also improving system characteristics, reducing costs, and creating new business models. This project looks at one such system concept.
Project Objective
The objective of the project is to develop innovative operational management concepts for a sector-coupling hybrid storage system that operates in conjunction with local electrical and thermal loads as well as renewable generators at the site of the power station of Theiß in Lower Austria.
The hybrid storage system is a combination of a multimodal battery energy storage system (mmBESS) and a thermal district heating storage system. This system offers fundamental advantages such as higher storage capacity, new marketing opportunities and extended system services.
Machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI), are developing optimized operational management concepts, including the forecast of photovoltaic (PV) generation and heat demand/load for the purpose of CO2 savings and optimized use of solar energy. These concepts will then be transferred to typical use cases, such as energy communities.
Solution Approach
As part of the SEKOHS Theiß DEMO project, the site’s existing large-scale thermal storage system (5 MW electric heating system / approx. 1650 MWh thermal storage capacity) has been expanded with a 5MW battery storage system and combined with a new large-scale 3MW PV system. This hybrid storage system is validated through comprehensive field tests and its operation is optimized using innovative methods. The improvements include extended forecasting concepts for photovoltaic generation and intelligent monitoring concepts for the storage system.
Expectations from the project
- A detailed understanding of such hybrid storage systems from a technical, economic, and regulatory perspective.
- A comprehensive evaluation of the effectiveness of the operational optimizations.
- A clear picture of transferability to other areas of application.
Implementation
The innovative aspect of the project is that it is a first-time implementation of a large-scale thermal/electric hybrid storage system in combination with a connected photovoltaic system at an actual demonstration site. The site receives more than 11,000 visitors a year, who receive guided tours and learn about energy conversion, energy storage and sustainable energy supply. The visitor concept is integrated into the Theiß sector-coupling hybrid storage system project.
Funding
The "SEKOHS Theiß" project is funded by the Climate and Energy Fund and is being implemented as part of the FTI initiative "Vorzeigeregion Energie".
