2015

ALBUFERA ENERGY STORAGE’S PATENT ON ALUMINIUM-AIR

By admin02 November, 2015News

On October 28^th, technicians from Tecnicas Reunidas attended the presentation of the latest developments of the company Albufera Energy Storage. In front of a large group of experts and professionals in energy storage, the General Director, Joaquín Chacón, said the company expects the granting of a patent for a primary Aluminum-Air battery and is working on opening a new factory for the batteries. He also addressed the degree of development of several projects on the use of various battery types in which they work, as well as recent progress in its research and energy storage advisory.

Regarding the Aluminium-Air technology, it was explained that they have the potential to last eight times longer than lithium-ion batteries currently used in electric cars and smartphones or tablets, and are much lighter. Finally, the latest market products based on lead-acid batteries for renewable energy were presented.

CENER PARTICIPATES IN BILBAOEKINTZA’S CONFERENCES

By admin29 October, 2015News

Under the title “Innovative and future key factors in the field of environmental technologies and urban solutions“, BilbaoEkintza has organized four days in consecutive weeks oriented towards innovations that contribute to improve the efficient use of resources and thus promote a more sustainable development of our urban environments. The content of the four organized conferences, which took place at Yimby Bilbao, were focused on environment, mobility, energy and construction-rehabilitation. BilbaoEkintza is a Local Business Public Entity, which aims to generate economic and social wealth for the city.

Gabriel Garcia, technician of CENER presented the LIFE ZAESS project on October 29^th in the conference of energy. First, the background leading to develop this project was described, where the storage of energy on a large scale can complement the installation of new electricity transmission infrastructure to achieve greater penetration of renewables in the network. Then, an update of the project progress to date was presented, where the prototype nearing completion has a central role. Finally, the upcoming tasks were listed, including testing the prototype, and the organization of the mid-term workshop of LIFE ZAESS to be held in 2016.

Energy storage: technologies and projects (AETP 2015)

By admin20 October, 2015News

Gabriel García, researcher of the Renewable Energy Grid Integration Department of CENER, participated on the past 15^th October in Madrid in a session titled “Energy storage: technologies and projects (AETP 2015)”, organized by Energetica XXI magazine.

In particular, CENER’s lecture addressed the characterization of the capabilities of the energy storage systems. One of the key issues for a increased deployment of these systems is the identification of appropriate business models for each technology and grid location. In the same way, the Grid Integration Department of CENER has developed a testing methodology that allows to validate the capabilities of a specific energy storage system, taking as a reference the existing standards and protocols. Likewise, it is possible to identify business models suitable for each storage technology and to evaluate its profitability.

As a practical case study, the activities of the LIFE ZAESS European project were described, where the case of a Zinc-Air flow battery developed by Técnicas Reunidas is studied.

Article about the LIFE ZAESS project published in Solar News magazine

By admin11 September, 2015News

The article “Proyecto LIFE ZAESS – Demostración de una batería de flujo Zinc-Aire para el almacenamiento de energía renovable” was published in the 58th number of Solar News magazine, corresponding to May-June. Along the article, the key facts of the zinc-air battery technology are explained, as well as the possibility of scaling this solution for the bulk storage of energy produced by renewables, and the possible applications for the grid.

Solar News is a magazine specialised in solar energy, both thermal and photovoltaic.

http://www.solarnews.es/es/edición-digital/

TR participates in the IV Smart Grids Workshop 2015

By admin15 July, 2015News

The IV Smart Grids Workshop 2015 was held on July 7 at the facilities of IMDEA Energy Institute in Madrid under the title “Energy Storage in the Smart Grids”. After visiting the institute laboratories, participants discussed in roundtables different aspects of energy storage in power grids.
The topics discussed included the commercial maturity of current technologies, business models and R&D challenges. Técnicas Reunidas attended the workshop and took the opportunity to disseminate the LIFE ZAESS project, which aims to demonstrate rechargeable zinc-air flow battery technology.

The conclusions of the workshop will help shape the agenda of the III Smart Grids Conference to be held in 2016.

For more information: www.smartgridsinfo.es

Demonstration of a low cost and environmentally friendly zinc air energy storage system for renewable energy integration

By admin28 April, 2015News

• The most important result of the project will be the techno-economic validation of Zinc-Air technology for grid-scale renewable energy storage and associated reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
• The project partners are Técnicas Reunidas, as the coordinator, and CENER.

LIFE ZAESS project, of 40 months duration, is coordinated by the Proprietary Technology Division of Técnicas Reunidas, with the collaboration of the Grid Integration Department of CENER (National Renewable Energy Centre). The project, with a budget of 1,175,000 €, is partly financed by EU’s LIFE programme.

The burning of fossil fuels to supply electricity is one of the greatest sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Increasing the share of clean, renewable sources in the energy mix is a clear European priority. However, two of the major sources of renewable energy – wind and solar – are intermittent by nature and integration in very large quantities requires some means of energy storage to prevent energy curtailments and to guarantee system stability. Thus, the LIFE ZAESS project aims to demonstrate an energy storage technology for increasing the share of intermittent renewable energies in the European energy mix and reducing CO₂ emissions thereby.

The most important result of the project will be the techno-economic validation of Zinc-Air technology, developed by Técnicas Reunidas, for grid-scale renewable energy storage and associated reductions in GHG emissions. Facing to overcome those existing technical barriers, Técnicas Reunidas will design and install a demonstrative pilot plant to operate for a 12 month period at the premises of its Technological Center José Lladó located in Madrid, along with the recording of all the necessary data for its analysis.

CENER will carry out a complete environmental impact assessment along the whole life cycle of a MW scale zinc-air energy storage plant, including detailed environmental and carbon footprint analysis. Additionally, CENER will study the legal and regulatory aspects conditioning the development of renewable energy storage across Europe, as well as the incentives for a large scale use of these systems in the European electricity market.

It is also foreseen the dissemination of the results of the project to all the interested entities, such as regulators, system operators, utilities and in general all the stakeholders of the electric sector, like companies, academia and technological centers. For this, in the framework of the LIFE ZAESS project, the partners will develop a project website, but also technical seminars and workshops will be scheduled and technical articles and presentations will be delivered in different conferences, detailing the main outcomes of the project.

Further information can be found at: