16-11-2022

Key milestone for LiNa Energy as it Successfully Demonstrates its Sodium Technology for Battery Energy Storage Systems

Rich Dawson, LiNa CTO, said of the test “Electrical grids all around the world will need energy storage assets as renewable generation increases. This is an important demonstration for LiNa Energy, showcasing this technology’s potential to meet the needs of this market.”

LiNa Energy, Lancaster, 16 Nov 2022… LiNa Energy successfully completed an independent demonstration of its lithium-free sodium batteries for energy storage systems with commercial partner ion Ventures. The test was performed independently at HORIBA MIRA and was funded via generous support from the UK’s Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). The test saw a 1kW/ 1kWh LiNa system perform dynamic containment – a key revenue stream for battery energy storage systems in the UK which requires rapid injection and absorption of power to maintain the grid’s frequency.

What is Dynamic Containment and Why is It Important?

Figure 1: UK Grid Frequency
 

Maintaining a narrow operating frequency is key to the electrical grid’s health, avoiding blackouts and generator trips. Traditional hydrocarbon-based sources of electrical generation provided ‘inertia’ to the grid as turbines would spin synchronous with the grid frequency and generator trips would be buffered by momentum. As these traditional sources of generation are displaced by invertor-based renewables, maintaining grid frequency has become more challenging. Dynamic Containment is one of a set of frequency response ancillary services that National Grid procures from battery asset owners whereby power is automatically dispatched in proportion to the deviation of the grid’s frequency from set point per the response profile below.

Figure 2: Dynamic Containment
 

Dan Taylor, Co-founder of ion Ventures, said “”This is a huge milestone for our partner LiNa Energy as the battery demonstrated it’s clear capability in responding to DC signals at the independent test centre. This continues to show the LiNa battery system will be providing a wide variety of services, as well as offering capabilities to grid operators worldwide”

Demonstration Results 

The demonstration was performed in a 1 kWh system containing LiNa’s lithium- and cobalt-free solid state sodium battery cells. In order to ensure a robust test, a 1kW Dynamic Containment commitment was simulated against a repeating abnormally volatile frequency input, specifically EFA Block 3 on 6th Jan 2022. The test was performed continuously for 5 days and tested over a range of states-of-charge. The test was also run simultaneously with a charge and a discharge profile to demonstrate the critical ability to stack revenue streams.

Project Partners 

The demonstration was conducted as part of BEIS’s Energy Entrepreneurs Fund which Supports the development of technologies, products and processes in the areas of energy efficiency, power generation, heat generation, energy storage, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and security of supply. LiNa Energy demonstrated the technology with ion Ventures – an international developer of renewable generation, clean electrification schemes and optimised, flexible power infrastructure.

HORIBA MIRA is a global provider of automotive engineering, research and test services, with over 75 years of experience in the industry. From its 850 acre head office in Nuneaton, they provide comprehensive, independent support ranging from technology development and individual product tests through to full-vehicle design, development and build programmes. With one of the most advanced and comprehensive test and validation capabilities for battery testing, HORIBA MIRA was well placed to assist in LiNa’s development programme.