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NETWORK / 27 / MAY 2016 Sub-second resilience The UK's energy transition presents new opportunities for fast and flexible energy storage says ABB's Colin Green. E nergy storage is not a new concept. In fact, for many centuries the UK has been storing energy in the form of primary fuels to ensure the resilience of our energy system. Right now we have the capability to store around 50-60 TWh of natural gas and 30GWh of electricity (mainly in the form of pumped hydro) as part of a highly resilient energy system. The UK's transition to a secure, clean and affordable energy system is driving the need for different forms of storage across the electricity, industry insight EnErgy stOrAgE ABB heat and transport energy vectors. In the near term, the transformation of the energy system poses new challenges in maintaining the stability of transmission and distribution networks due to the displacement of large thermal rotating plant that provides the system inertia essential to maintain grid frequency. It is this decline in flexibility within the UK electricity system that is creating new opportunities for fast-operating flexible energy resources. Grid-connected Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are one of a range of potential solutions that could address the growing challenges of maintaining grid stability – delivering a range of services such as peak shaving, voltage regulation, and automated demand response mechanisms. The particular advantage of a BESS is that it can deliver the very fast sub-second response required to support grid frequency until additional generation assets, short-term operating reserves and/or more hydroelectric power can be brought on stream and synchronised to the grid. As the transformation of the energy system continues, other storage technologies are likely to be needed for longer duration applications and strategic reserves to help maintain the high levels of resilience that we enjoy today. This will need changes to the legal and regulatory framework to enable these technologies to be developed. The government has acknowledged the need to review the legal and regulatory framework to ensure that new service providers are able to fully participate in the energy system of the future, including changes to enable energy storage to play an active role. At the same time, the government is making innovation funding available to support the development of energy storage. We have recently seen that a relatively small change to the market, with the introduction of the enhanced frequency response service, has had a profound impact on the market interest for battery energy storage systems. Yet the potential value of energy storage is even greater and modest changes to the legal and regulatory structure may catalyse rapid development and deployment of a broad range of storage technologies. R&D activities are also continuing to drive improvements in existing technologies as well as bringing forward new storage technologies to deal with storage duration and cycles. The time has come for energy storage to take its place within the UK energy mix. Colin Green, head of regulatory affairs and technology, ABB Power Grids UK