6 megawatt battery backup system?

[speedy130]

Don't laugh

A local business is planning to erect two 130m wind turbines to supposedly power their factory providing 6 megawatts.

There have been objections but the firm claim the turbines cannot be relocated as they will be using some form of localised battery backup system...

Is this feasible, or just nonsense???

 

[ericmark]

Time is a consideration. So consider a 48 volt battery system as a reasonable voltage. 1kW will require 21A so megawatt 21000A and 6MW = 125000 amp. So at 110AH per battery that = 1136 batteries to run for 1 hour.

And yes one could have a container with that many batteries. Could be for 1/2 hour which would reduce by half batteries required.

Likely as back-up plan. No more likely big diesel generators. The big problem is getting units which would give that output. I have considered if using a small i.e. say 3KVA inverter one could use many grid tie inverters to add to the output?

However I think it unlikely that one could really get that sort of output from standard units.

But neither could one say don't be daft you can't do that.

 

[Spark123]

I don't follow what the battery backup will be for, is it to provide power to the windmills in the event of power failure or to power the whole site?
I can envisage a 6MW UPS type system being massive! I have worked on 415v battery systems with rooms full of batteries, they were only powering something like a 100A supply!
Apprentices job was to top up the water, take the SG and voltage readings. Going bigger will be a maintenance nightmare!!

 

[speedy130]

Thanks guys.

They say a battery storage system will enable them to go "off grid", so I guess it should power their plant (pharmaceutical factory) whenever their wind turbines are not turning. How many hours or days that might be, I'm not sure - you can never tell with the wind...

 

[Spark123]

I can't see them running a whole site on batteries every time the wind conditions are wrong!!
Maybe buy and sell into the grid??

 

[speedy130]

That's exactly what I suspected.

There has been a lot of local objection to their plans. These turbines will totally dominate the historic skyline of a small east coast town. The company claim the only reason they can't relocate the turbines is because they will be off grid, so they need to be onsite (with battery backup).

A few of us think this is nonsense. We believe they will HAVE be connected to the grid. And it follows they could easily be relocated out of town... They want people to see them and think what a great, progressive "green" company they are!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Time is a consideration. So consider a 48 volt battery system as a reasonable voltage. 1kW will require 21A so megawatt 21000A and 6MW = 125000 amp. So at 110AH per battery that = 1136 batteries to run for 1 hour.

A 110AH battery, not even a deep cycle one, will not deliver 110A for 1 hour.

It might deliver 22A for 5 hours.[/quote]

 

[donrkebab]

There are many standby battery sytems of 6Mw or bigger, biggest I've seen was 12 Mw. But they are only designed to maintain power for the few minutes it takes for the standby generators to get up to speed and re-supply the power.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Could the siting be anything to do with land rent payable?

 

[speedy130]

Many thanks for all your replies. Well off topic I know, but really do appreciate your expertise and opinions.

I think this confirms our suspicions that contrary to their claims, they WILL have to be connected to the grid to guarantee continuity of supply.

And therefore the only reason they are insisting on locating these turbines within their site (with all the associated hazards & within 250m of local housing) is to show some sort of "green" highly visible status / PR symbol.

RE: land rent, don't honestly think it has anything to do with cost. This is a massive (global) company, happy to lie to the local community (can't relocate their turbines as they need to be off grid & on site with a battery backup) and destroy a historic landscape for their own selfish PR exercise.

 

[Taylortwocities]

 

[OwainDIYer]

Ask the planning committee if they would be willing to grant permission for the turbine subject to the condition that the site does not have any on-grid electricity supply.

If what the applicant is saying is true they could not object to this.

 

[speedy130]

It can't be done Marty!

 

[speedy130]

Ask the planning committee if they would be willing to grant permission for the turbine subject to the condition that the site does not have any on-grid electricity supply.

If what the applicant is saying is true they could not object to this.

That is a great idea. Just hope it's not too late as we're waiting on the outcome of the planners. Thanks

 

[ericmark]

330MW I think that's some battery.
However the power stations it was built to complement were not at Dinorwig but at Wylfa and before that Trawsfynydd.

The problem with wind turbines is the amount of power required to ensure no ice build up on the blades. Read this report.