ANDRITZ And Mercedes-Benz Energy Sign Cooperation Agreement To Supply Large Battery Energy Storage Systems For Hydropower Plants

International technology group ANDRITZ, one of the globally leading suppliers of electro-mechanical equipment and services for hydropower stations, and Mercedes-Benz Energy,a subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz and international supplier of automotive battery storage systems, have signed a cooperation agreement to promote and supply the most modern hybrid energy solutions for the hydropower market based on large battery energy storage systems.

The hybrid energy solution offered by ANDRITZ and Mercedes-Benz Energy combines a hydropower unit with a stationary energy storage based on automotive lithium-ion battery systems from Mercedes-Benz. Compared to a conventional hydropower application, it can enhance the operational range of the unit according to the size of the battery. The stored energy, which is made available very quickly, offers new opportunities for power plant owners and operators to compensate any volatile electrical impact from the grid to the units. This can extend the lifetime of mechanical components. In addition, the hybrid solution opens up new approaches to providing grid services and features like black-start support and virtual inertia. Even with changing water regulations and unknown future legal requirements, the solution guarantees highest operational flexibility of the hydropower plant.

The system can be applied to all types and sizes of hydropower plant (low head, run-of-river, high head) and to all turbine types. It can be installed either in greenfield applications or retrofitted to existing facilities, covering battery capacities from 200 kWh up to 10 MWh.

The change in the global energy market – from fossil fuel-based power generation to a carbon-free, renewable future – brings along many structural changes. The best way to deal with this is to combine the best features of all systems involved – a hybrid solution. Hybrid energy solutions are defined as a combination of technologies from one or more generations, comprising at least one renewable energy source, and an energy storage system that ensures maximum reliability and security of the energy supply.

This cooperation with Mercedes-Benz Energy fuses a long history and market-leading expertise in hydropower technology with innovative battery technology that opens up new opportunities for the hydropower market.