Maxwell Technologies, Inc., a developer and manufacturer of ultracapacitor-based energy storage and power delivery products, announced that its ultracapacitors have been selected by Beijing Huadian Tianren Electric Power Control Technology Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China Guodian Corporation, as the core component of a wind farm energy storage demonstration project. One of the five largest power producers in the country, China Guodian Corporation's system is the first MW-scale, ultracapacitor-based wind farm energy storage system in the world.
Compared with conventional batteries, ultracapacitors discharge and recharge power quicker, with a longer lifetime and better performance in low temperatures. The advantages of Maxwell's ultracapacitors perfectly suit them for stabilizing short-term power output fluctuation in wind farms and cabling in large-scale deployments, ensuring reliable access to wind-generated power on the grid. The demonstration project has deployed 1,152 Maxwell 56V/130F ultracapacitor modules, which is the largest ultracapacitor system in wind farms across China.
"Ultracapacitors' long cycle life and fast response capabilities can smooth power output fluctuation, allowing large-scale wind farms to connect to the grid as a more reliable power generation source," said Yu Kang, the demonstration project leader at Beijing Huadian Tianren Electric Power Control Technology Co. "We recognize Maxwell's successful experience in energy storage, as well as the company's advanced and reliable products. We are expecting ultracapacitors, alone or in combination with other energy storage technologies, to play a more important role in the advancement of renewable energy utilization."
"With the rapidly expanding deployment of renewable energy power generation worldwide, adapting different energy storage approaches are critical to improving power quality and grid stability," said Dr. Franz Fink, president and chief executive officer for Maxwell. "Maxwell's ultracapacitors are a perfect fit for this wind farm energy storage demonstration project, and with growing demand, we see a great deal of opportunity to partner with more Chinese customers to expand ultracapacitor-based energy storage in more applications."
