A German carmaker has given new life to used batteries of electric vehicles. Porsche AG has developed a 5-MW energy storage system from used vehicle batteries.
The system is located at the sports carmaker’s plant in Leipzig, Germany. Made up of 4,400 individual battery modules, the storage system can be operated at up to 20 percent overload for short periods.
Divided into four battery containers, the entire system, including the battery blocks, is designed for a useful life of more than ten years. The individual battery modules can be replaced individually if necessary, according to the company.
The system was built out of used Taycan batteries. They were taken from pre-series and works vehicles and are now being put to use as a stationary energy storage system at the end of their service life.
The four battery strings are individually connected to an inverter and a transformer in a medium-voltage system. The battery modules used in the grueling everyday work of test vehicles were installed in the energy storage system without any technical changes.
“We wanted to create electricity storage capacities for the Leipzig plant in order to make the site even more economical and to increase its degree of self-sufficiency,” said Jonathan Dietrich, overall project manager for battery storage.
He further maintained that it was only logical to use batteries from Taycan pre-series vehicles instead of recycling them.
Project to help other Porsche locations with similar systems
The project is expected to help other Porsche locations with similar systems and capabilities in the future.
“At the same time, we can utilise batteries from test cars that are no longer suitable for demanding use in the vehicle for a second useful deployment before their final recycling,” said Dietrich.
The electricity for the storage system is partly generated by the plant’s own solar systems with a peak output of 9.4 megawatts. When peak loads occur, the storage system helps to reduce them.
Battery storage system will be integrated into the balancing energy market
This “peak shaving” is becoming increasingly important in this era of higher electricity requirements due to electro-mobility, heat pumps, and other electrical consumers, as capped load peaks not only reduce grid charges but ideally can also reduce the need for expanded upstream grids, said the company in a press release.
Porsche maintained that the stationary battery storage system will be integrated into the balancing energy market in every marketable form by the end of the year. In addition to peak shaving, this includes serving as a grid stabilizer for the upstream distribution grids.
The project provides important insights into how to intelligently supply an automotive plant with energy. Furthermore, it facilitates the expansion of an adaptable power grid.
“Of course, this is about environmental aspects and the core issue of the energy supply. But it was also important to us to take a pioneering role with the storage system,” said Alwin Schmid, Head of Electrical Engineering at Porsche, explaining the goals of the project.
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