China Approves 720 MWh Energy Storage Project

• A pilot project for battery energy storage with 720 MWh of capacity and 4 hours storage duration has been approved in China
• It will be built in Jiuquan, Jiayuguan and Wuwei regions of Gansu province in 2019
• Gansu Provincial Development and Reform Commission said it will be deployed with an investment of CNY 1.2 billion ($174.8 million)
• The 720 MWh capacity will be the first phase of the project and will be expanded depending on market and grid needs

The Gansu Provincial Development and Reform Commission has given its approval to a mega energy storage pilot project with capacity to store 720 MWh of clean energy and storage duration of 4 hours, reported Bloomberg. It will be the first pilot energy storage project approved by the state and the largest virtual energy storage power plant in China, according to a statement from the commission.

The project will be located in Jiuquan, Jiayuguan and Wuwei regions of Gansu province. The commission says in the first phase, 720 MWh storage capacity will be built for a total investment of CNY 1.2 billion ($174.8 million). It is scheduled for completion  in 2019. Expansion of the facility will be carried out depending on the needs of the market and the power grid.

Such a project will improve safety and stability of the power system and promote absorption of new energy, according to the commission.

By September 2018, China's clean generation capacity reached 706 GW; wind and solar curtailment rates were 7.7% and 2.9% respectively. Battery storage systems such as this pilot project are an attempt to ensure better use of clean energy generated.