US-based energy storage company Fluence Energy has entered into a strategic partnership with Rich Electric to deploy a 100MW battery energy storage system (BESS) in Hualien, Taiwan.
The new BESS project, planned to be completed in mid-2023, will support automatic frequency control (AFC) services offered by Taiwan’s state-owned electric utility, Taipower.
Once completed, the project will become the first 100MW BESS system in Taiwan, and one of Fluence’s largest AFC projects in the country.
Fluence APAC SVP and president Jan Teichmann said: “Taiwan has become one of the most active energy storage markets in the Asia Pacific region.
“The growth momentum of the energy ecosystem is driven by a clear target and objectives for renewable energy and net-zero emission set by the local government.
“Through this partnership with Rich Electric, we look forward to building a more resilient smart grid in Taiwan and accelerating the local energy transition.”
Taiwan is actively deploying energy storage systems to enable flexible power supply, to address the frequent power outages due to intermittent renewable energy supplies, said Fluence.
Taipower aims to achieve 1,000MW storage capacity in Taiwan by 2025, while the country’s Bureau of Energy, Ministry of Economic Affairs targets 500MW storage capacity through ground-mounted PV systems.
The utility’s AFC services are said to play important role in stabilising the power grid.
In April this year, Fluence has been awarded the 60MW Taoyuan Longtan ultra-high voltage substation project, which entails more than TWD2.6bn investment.
Taoyuan Longtan is said to be the largest energy storage project in the Taiwanese public sector and forms around 37.5% of Taipower’s total storage capacity.
Rich Electric is a Taiwanese company, engaged in the design and manufacture of power conversion and battery-based energy storage systems.
Rich Electric chairman Eric Chen said: “Our company is dedicated to creating grid-level energy storage and distribution solutions to provide a stable power supply.
“We are excited to work with Fluence, leveraging its rich industry experience and advanced technology in providing a quality power supply that meets Taipower’s standards. Together with Fluence, we look forward to creating a sustainable future in Taiwan.”
