SAK builds large battery storage system for better grid stability
St.Gallisch-Appenzellische Kraftwerk AG (SAK) has begun construction of a large battery storage facility. The general contractor is eSpectrum AG from Kreuzlingen TG. The storage system will primarily be used by Swissgrid, the operator of the Swiss transmission grid.
On 13 March, SAK broke ground for the construction of a large battery storage facility to the east of the substation in Rheineck. According to a press release, the new storage system will have a storage capacity of 6.24 megawatt hours and thus contribute to the energy transition and stabilisation of the regional power grid. The general contractor is Kreuzlingen-based eSpectrum AG, which manufactures energy storage systems.
The new storage facility will mainly be used by Swissgrid. As a transmission system operator, Swissgrid works to ensure a secure and stable electricity grid. The switch to renewable energies as part of the Energy Strategy 2050 requires options for storing electricity, as weather-related fluctuations in energy generation repeatedly lead to surpluses in energy production, which can be utilised in times of low electricity production.
Battery storage systems are particularly important for absorbing peak loads and relieving the strain on the grid infrastructure. “It may not be the first or largest of its kind, but it fits perfectly with SAK’s requirements and goals in relation to the energy transition,” Simon Mettler, Project Manager for Innovation at SAK, is quoted as saying in the press release.