The 20 Megawatts (MW) of power that the battery-based energy storage system (BESS) is intended to store and deliver can last up to four hours.

Statkraft said: “It would be the first BESS in Ireland to store energy for that length of time.”

According to the report, the majority of grid-scale batteries currently used here have an energy storage capacity of 30 minutes to two hours.

In a release that accompanied the announcement, Statkraft stated that the “longer the duration of battery energy storage capacity, the more benefits it can offer.”

The project's goal is to make it easier to store energy from renewable sources for use when demand is low. The Fluence-provided 20MW storage system will be situated next to Statkraft's 55.8MW Cushaling Wind Farm. Construction on the wind farm is currently ongoing.

By the end of 2024, the battery project's construction is anticipated to be finished. The addition of another battery project to our expanding list of storage projects is very exciting, according to Kevin O'Donovan, managing director of Statkraft Ireland.

“The longer-duration storage capability of this project shows that Statkraft continues to innovate and embrace advancement in battery technology,” he continued.

Statement from Brian Perusse, managing director of Fluence Energy Ireland Ltd., “The continuous advancements in energy storage technology are astounding and the technology is well positioned to serve both flexibility and peak capacity needs in the market.”

The Cushaling Battery is the third battery that Statkraft has created in Ireland; the other two are in County Kerry.

The Renewables Infrastructure Group (TRIG), a UK-listed investment company, sold a portfolio of operational Irish onshore wind farms to the company recently.

A report from Statkraft, newer, more efficient turbines may be added to the wind farms in the future.