Northvolt commissions its first public energy storage system in Sweden

Stockholm, Sweden – Northvolt has commissioned its first public energy storage system at an electric vehicle charging station in Västerås, Sweden. The battery system is the first that local energy provider Mälarenergi has deployed alongside EV charging infrastructure. The system serves to reduce peaks in electricity demand of the charging station by more than 80%, thereby lessening the demands of electric vehicle charging on the electricity network. Emad Zand, President Battery Systems, Northvolt, comments:

“This is our first public grid deployment, showcasing one of several key roles that battery energy storage can play in electricity networks with immediate benefit to local residents and the grid.”

“This is of course only the beginning – like many urban areas undergoing a remarkable increase in number of electric vehicles on the roads, Västerås requires many more battery solutions like this. Batteries represent a key enabling technology for the roll-out of more electric vehicles and decarbonization of transport systems.”

As technology provider to the project, Northvolt has delivered a lithium-ion battery system based around its modular battery system, Voltrack, which provides power output up to 220 kW and a usable energy capacity of 320 kWh.

The battery system functions as a buffer between the electricity grid and EV charging station to enable peak shaving and load levelling. Peak shaving in this way helps utilities to meet demand without relying on peaking generators which are increasingly recognized as a costly and inefficient way to compensate for new demands of EV charging.

Moving forward, Mälarenergi and Northvolt are collaborating on the deployment of another battery energy storage project in Västerås, featuring Northvolt’s Voltpack Mobile system which was launched in May 2020.