The first was initiated in Sicily and Sardinia: it’s called Storage Lab and is a laboratory, unique in terms of the variety of technologies available (supercapacitors, lithium-based batteries, ZEBRA batteries, vanadium redox batteries) and the innovative nature of the control systems. Here, Terna experimented with the main accumulation technologies on the market, mostly of a power intensive nature, which deliver a high power output for short periods of time, focusing on their performance, durability and technical characteristics in different situations and operating conditions (normal and extreme).
The second project called the Large Scale project envisages the management of "energy intensive" batteries, i.e. batteries with a high stored-energy to installed-power ratio, installed on three different platforms in the Campania region. The aim of these platforms is to ensure maximum use of wind plants, reducing grid congestion linked to excessive wind production with regards to the power lines’ transport capacity. In addition to utilising the latest-generation batteries, the plants are equipped with a specific control system that can interface with peripheral plants and the central system.
Based on international decarbonisation undertakings, the portion of total consumption covered by renewables must increase to 30% in 2030 (from 18% in 2017). More specifically, renewables must cover electricity consumption by around 55%, once again within the deadline of 2030. The road to best exploiting renewable energy still has a long way to go, but storage systems that can make these resources “programmable” in terms of space and time, provide one of the fundamental solutions for the success of this transition.