The successful test has unequivocally demonstrated the technical readiness and capabilities of this unique technology, says Søren Gais Kjeldsen, CEO at Aalborg Forsyning.
By demonstrating swift and reliable charging response, Kyoto Group’s thermal battery, Heatcube, has passed the Power Market Test required to provide flexibility services to the electricity market in Western Denmark (DK1)
Nordjylland Power Station will now be able to utilize the Heatcube thermal battery to maintain grid frequency stability. In case of unexpectedly high demand in the power grid, Heatcube can automatically (through aFRR or manually with mFRR) reduce power consumption to assist in meeting the increased demand. If the power grid experiences surplus production, Heatcube can absorb this excess electricity to maintain stable frequency. This will minimize the electricity price and ensure the lowest possible cost of heat from Heatcube for their customers.
The Power Market Test confirmed Heatcube’s operational performance by achieving a smooth and reliable startup of the heater from 0 MW to 5 MW in 90 seconds, well within the requirements for participation in the balancing market. The heating element remained stable at 5 MW for 10 minutes, after which the load was reduced to 0 MW, the pump was turned off, and the valves closed automatically. “This result demonstrates the efficiency of our thermal energy storage technology and paves the way for a future where industrial process heat is sourced from clean, renewable electricity, enabling the industry to decarbonize while optimizing operational costs,” says Camilla Nilsson, CEO at Kyoto Group.
Nordjylland Power Station’s Heatcube has a storage capacity of 18 MWh and a discharge capacity of 4 MW. The heat storage system absorbs power from the grid, stores thermal energy in molten salt, and delivers heat to the district heating system of Aalborg Forsyning, thus making solar and wind energy a viable alternative to fossil fuels for district heating. “The successful test has unequivocally demonstrated the technical readiness and capabilities of this unique technology,” says Søren Gais Kjeldsen, CEO at Aalborg Forsyning.