Large electricity storage facilities will be connected to Caruna's network this year
Industrial-scale electricity storage facilities that look like giant phone powerbanks are becoming more common in Finland. This year, dozens of batteries will be connected to Caruna's distribution network across network areas. The required connections are currently under construction.
The batteries connected to Caruna's network have a capacity of more than one megawatt, i.e. industrial-grade batteries. Larger battery projects are also planned to be connected to Caruna's network. At its largest, the planned projects can reach tens of megawatts.
Electricity storage facilities can be used in the electricity network and in customers' own electricity systems. In the future, they may also be used for local flexibility, in which case the battery supports the local distribution network by balancing the load caused by consumption or production peaks.
Batteries help the power system to be flexible, but require a strong electricity network
Typically, at this time, the battery is part of the consumption connection.
"For example, a shopping centre with solar panels may also have a battery that feeds energy from solar panels into storage. With the help of batteries, the property's own electricity production can be utilised more efficiently and the battery makes it possible to balance the consumption peaks of the connection. In addition, it is possible to charge the battery at low hours and use electricity directly from the battery during expensive hours," says Sales and Account Manager Joni Kokkonen.
What is new now is the proliferation of batteries whose function is only to operate in the electricity grid, for example as part of the grid reserve market. When a situation arises in the grid where consumption is higher than production, batteries can feed electricity into the grid and thus even out the situation in the network. On the other hand, when there is a lot of production, batteries can take electricity from the grid.
"This is mainly due to the increase in renewable energy. The production of renewable energy is dependent on the weather, which means that the fluctuation between production and consumption is greater and consumption must be flexible. We need flexibility in the network and storage possibilities for cloudy and windless days, for example," Kokkonen says.
Batteries can also help balance consumption and production locally where the current capacity of the electricity network cannot withstand the biggest consumption or production peaks. These may include areas where electricity consumption or production has increased dramatically within a few years due to, for example, electrified heating, solar power or wind turbines.
In Finland, the grid is in good condition and electricity distribution is affordable compared to other European countries. Batteries may be a salvation for power surges in the power grid, but they demand a lot from the power grid. Today, batteries can even increase the peak load on distribution networks, as their current use is based on the short-term need for regulation of the entire electricity system rather than the load situation in the local distribution network.
"The need for investment in distribution networks is really big. Electricity networks must be ready for the green transition so that distribution networks do not become a bottleneck for planned investments in Finland," Kokkonen says.
The text has been translated into English with the help of artificial intelligence.