Slovenske Elektrarne Commissions Largest Battery Storage Facility in Slovakia

      Novaky, 22 July (TASR) - Power utility Slovenske elektrarne (SE) has commissioned the largest battery storage facility in Slovakia, company spokesperson Lenka Sarlakova told TASR on Wednesday, adding that the facility has been built on the site of the former Novaky coal-fired power station (Trencin region) and will help to stabilise the electricity grid as the share of renewable energy sources increases.
        The facility has an output of 36 megawatts (MW) and a capacity of 72 megawatt-hours (MWh). It will provide primary frequency control (FCR) and thus help to maintain the frequency stability of the electricity grid. "As it will operate in a similar way to a pumped-storage power station - that is, storing electricity during periods of surplus and feeding it into the grid at times of peak demand - it will also help to integrate renewable energy sources more effectively into both the Slovak and European electricity grids," said Sarlakova.
        The battery storage facility consists of two units - 12 MW and 24 MW. SE received a non-refundable grant of almost €3.7 million from Slovakia's Recovery and Resilience Plan for the 24 MW section of the facility. The grant covered 45 percent of the project's eligible costs.
        Chairman of the SE Board of Directors and chief executive officer Branislav Strycek ranked the transformation of Novaky among the most visible examples of the changes that the energy sector is currently undergoing. "A site that for decades was a symbol of coal-fired power generation is now helping to increase the flexibility of the electricity system and creating conditions for further developing zero-emission and renewable energy sources," said Strycek.