Under the project, Beacon Power’s durable high-power flywheel energy storage technology will be integrated with an existing lower duty-cycle conventional electrochemical battery. It will be used when additional energy is required.
The project will improve Alaska’s grid as well as help in efficient use of renewable energy sources.
The companies will deploy the systems at a substation next to Chugach headquarters. They are anticipated to start operation later this year.
Beacon and Chugach will also test the 320kW system to assess scalability of the new storage solution in the future.
It will focus on increasing amounts of renewables to interconnect with remote system utilities along the Alaska Railbelt.
Chugach senior VP for power supply Paul Risse said: "Beacon’s flywheel systems have a solid reputation in terms of operating performance, cyclic durability and demanding environments.
"This hybrid flywheel/battery project is an opportunity to bring proven next-generation technologies that have strong track records elsewhere to our state — and combine them in an innovative way."
The Alaska Energy Authority’s Emerging Energy Technology Fund has agreed to provide funding for the project.
Spirae of Fort Collins, Colorado is delivering the overall control system to handle output of both flywheels and batteries, as well as manage each system’s state-of-charge.
