ABB microgrid to bring clean energy and power reliability to Alaska community

ABB will provide an innovative microgrid, combining battery and flywheel based storage technologies, designed to test scalability and improve power stability for around 300,000 people in Anchorage, Alaska, USA. The small scale project, initiated by Chugach Electric Association, Inc., aims to identify technologies that will enable the integration of more renewables, including wind power from a 17 megawatt (MW) wind farm on Fire Island, located about 4 km off the coast of Anchorage, which will work in concert with the innovative storage solution.

ABB’s modular and containerized microgrid solution PowerStoreTM will blend the complementary capabilities of two storage technologies, flywheel and battery storage. The flywheel will facilitate the integration of fluctuating wind power and the battery will be used for long-term storage. The battery has a capacity of 500 kilowatt hours with a maximum performance of 2 MW.

“We are delighted to partner with a visionary utility like Chugach Electric, to build this microgrid which incorporates a hybrid storage solution to enhance reliability of power supply”, said Massimo Danieli, Managing Director of ABB’s Grid Automation business unit, a part of the company’s Power Grids division. “Integration of renewables is a key element of the Energy Revolution and a major focus area of our Next Level strategy.”

ABB’s advanced Microgrid Plus control system will monitor the hybrid storage solution and ensure proper load sharing between the two storage mediums. It is also equipped for remote service and maintenance.

“This innovative solution shows how energy storage technology can boost renewable energy penetration in Alaska and have far reaching implications for new renewable projects on the Railbelt as well as in smaller Alaskan communities,” said Paul Risse, Senior Vice President, Power Supply at Chugach Electric.

Chugach Electric Association is a leading electric utility, headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, and home to half the people in the largest, most sparsely populated state in the US.

ABB is a pioneer in microgrid technology with around 40 installations all over the world, across a diverse range of applications serving remote communities, islands, utilities and industrial campuses.

Image: ABB microgrid to bring clean energy and power reliability to Alaska community (Photo: ABB)