Amplex-Emirates LLC was awarded a pilot project by Dubai’s Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) to install a battery energy storage system (BESS) at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai; the first energy storage system paired with a photovoltaic plant at a grid-scale level in the United Arab Emirates. NGK Insulators LTD supplied its NAS batteries and INGETEAM was responsible for the supply of a 1.2 MW power conversion system (PCS) with its medium voltage components (power transformer, MV switchgear, etc.), and the power plant controller (PPC).
Dubai has accelerated investment in renewable energy to eliminate dependence on fossil fuels and for sustainable economic growth, and is building the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the world’s largest solar park, in the south of the Emirate. Dubai is targeting introduction of 5,000 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP) by 2030, which will raise the ratio of renewable energy to 25% of total generation capacity. Furthermore, Dubai is seeking a 75% power output from clean energy sources by 2050.
In anticipation of the large-scale introduction of renewable energy in the future, DEWA installed a NAS battery system in the solar park to demonstrate its effectiveness in stabilizing grid fluctuations caused by the nature of renewable energy. The 1.2 MW/7.2 MWh NAS storage system is allowing DEWA for evaluating the technical and economic capabilities of this technology when integrated with PV arrays in order to increase grid stability and reduce CO2 emissions. In fact, the storage system will be also used for energy time shifting, frequency control and voltage control by using the large capacity of the batteries. This kind of hybrid systems help to deliver clean and reliable power to energy consumers with a greater availability and cost-effectiveness.
The Ingeteam supply was comprised of a 1.2 MVA power station equipped with two storage inverters and all the rest of components for a LV-to-MV and DC-to-AC conversion (medium voltage transformer, medium voltage switchgear, etc.). These inverters have been conceived to perform according to the most demanding international grid codes, featuring some very advanced operating functions such as black start capability. Moreover, they are suitable for both stand-alone and grid-tied systems. Also, Ingeteam supplied the Power Plant Controller (PPC) and the BMS interface control that manages the operation of the overall system, developing the more advanced control features, such as:
