The move enhances the existing installation, which has been operational since early 2013, and increases the grid output from the energy stored in hydrogen to 150kW.
Areva, the Environmental Sciences Laboratory of the University of Corsica Pascal Paoli/CNRS, and the CEA have jointly developed the project.
University of Corsica president and chairman of the MYRTE scientific interest grouping Paul-Marie Romani said the installation is a new step forward for Corsica in the development of scientific activities devoted to energy issues.
The Greenergy Box, which features an electrolyzer and a fuel cell, increases the potential storage of the electricity produced.
The system stores hydrogen and oxygen generated by water electrolysis when power demand is low and recombines them to generate electricity when required again.
Areva energy storage business executive vice-president Jérôme Gosset said, "Boosting the storage potential of the MYRTE platform demonstrates the high added value of the solution developed by AREVA to increase the security of the Corsican power grid."
The project is co-funded by the government of Corsica, the French State and the European Union.
The MYRTE platform has linked 560kW of photovoltaic solar panels to a hydrogen-based storage system since January 2012.
Image: The Greenergy Box increases the potential storage of the electricity produced. Photo: Courtesy of Areva.
