Enel Distribuzione (Enel), Italy's largest distribution system operator, has awarded NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701) a contract for the supply of one of the largest storage systems based on lithium-ion-manganese technology in Europe.

NEC's 2MVA/2MWh Energy Storage Systems (ESS) will improve service quality and continuity for alternative energy generation by compensating for power fluctuations due to wind gusts or moving clouds. It mitigates intermittency (the extent to which a power source is unavailable) in renewable energy generation.

Distribution system operator Enel will install NEC's ESS in the Chiaravalle power substation site in the Calabria Region and investigate the possibility of a new energy distribution service. With the ESS, Enel will conduct a pilot project to optimise the flow of renewable energy to the Italian transmission grid (power grid) while reducing the imbalance between forecast power and actual production and minimising the  energy loss due to grid congestion. The storage system will enable ENEL to smoothly control the exchange of energy via the power grid.

"Supplying Enel with our high quality ESS is an important achievement and confirms NEC's leadership in the cutting-edge energy storage market," said Ugo Govigli, vice president of Smart Grid Solutions at NEC Europe. "Supplying an industry leader like Enel with the largest ESS in EU confirms that Italy is the key country for NEC's energy business expansion in the EMEA market."

"Providing Enel with our ESS is a big step for our business expansion in the European market," says Takemitsu Kunio, Senior Vice President at NEC Corporation. "NEC's large-capacity battery system business is aimed at supporting electrical power systems and electrical distribution networks of utilities in Europe."