Big Battery

Texas is slated to get a really big battery to improve grid reliability.

Electric Transmission Texas LLC (ETT) has completed a contract with NGK-Locke, Inc. for a state-of-the-art, sodium-sulfur 4-megawatt NAS battery system, which will be installed in Presidio, Texas. ETT is a joint venture between American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP) and MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company (MidAmerican).

The NAS battery will be the first in Texas and the largest in the United States and represents part of a $67 million overall commitment by ETT to improve transmission reliability in Presidio and surrounding areas.

And what are the capabilities of this battery?

The NAS® battery system uses sodium-sulfur battery technology. This technology proposed by ETT for Presidio will provide the following benefits:

Due to its quick response, the battery will address voltage fluctuations and momentary outages.

In the event of an outage on the radial transmission line providing power to Presidio, the battery can supply 4 MW of uninterrupted power for up to 8 hours.

The battery will allow Presidio’s electrical load to receive uninterrupted power from Comisiün Federal de Electricidad (CFE) during emergency situations.

The battery will allow for maintenance on the new transmission line being built to from Marfa to Presidio without loss of electric service.

One of the many things you can do with a battery like this is peak leveling. That means the transmission lines do not have to be designed for peak power use but only have to deliver the average power required at the load. It also means a smaller generator can be used to supply the load if the generator can supply the average load. Savings all around if the battery and its associated conversion equipment are cheap enough.

Cross Posted at Classical Values