Kuvunyelwe ukuthuthukiswa kwesistimu yokugcina amandla ebhethri (i-BESS) enkulu kunazo zonke eNew Zealand kuze kube manje.

Iphrojekthi yokugcina amabhethri angu-100MW isathuthukiswa yinkampani ekhiqiza ugesi kanye nomthengisi iMeridian Energy eRuākākā eNorth Island eNew Zealand. Indawo iseduze neMarsden Point, indawo eyayiyindawo yokuhluza uwoyela.

UMeridian uthe ngesonto eledlule (3 Novemba) ukuthi uthole imvume yezinsizakusebenza zalo msebenzi evela kuMkhandlu Wesifunda saseWhangārei kanye neziphathimandla zeMkhandlu Wesifunda saseNorthland. Lokhu kuphawula isigaba sokuqala seRuākākā Energy Park, kanti iMeridian inethemba lokwakha nesitshalo se-PV selanga esingu-125MW endaweni kamuva.

I-Meridian ihlose ukuthi i-BESS iqashwe ngo-2024. Inhloko yenkampani yentuthuko evuselelekayo uHelen Knott uthe usizo ezolunikeza kugridi luzonciphisa ukuguquguquka kokuhlinzekwa kanye nesidingo, ngakho-ke luzofaka isandla ekwehliseni amanani kagesi.

“Sibone uhlelo lwethu lukagesi luba ngaphansi kwengcindezi ngezikhathi ezithile ngenxa yezinkinga zokuhlinzekwa okuholele ekungazinzini kwentengo. Ukugcinwa kwebhethri kuzosiza ekunciphiseni lezi zigameko ngokwenza kube lula ukusatshalaliswa kokuhlinzekwa kanye nesidingo,” kusho uKnott.

Uhlelo luzoshaja amandla ashibhile ngezikhathi ezingezona ezokusebenza kakhulu futhi luwabuyisele kugridi ngezikhathi lapho kudingeka kakhulu. Luzophinde luvumele amandla engeziwe akhiqizwa eSouth Island yaseNew Zealand ukuthi asetshenziswe enyakatho.

Ekusizeni ukwandisa ukusetshenziswa kwamandla avuselelekayo, lesi sikhungo singenza futhi ukuthi izinsizakusebenza zikaphethiloli ziphelelwe yisikhathi eNorth Island, kusho uKnott.

Njengoba kubikwe nguIzindaba ze-Energy-StorageNgoMashi, iphrojekthi enkulu kunazo zonke yokugcina amabhethri eNew Zealand eyamenyezelwa esidlangalaleni uhlelo lwe-35MW olusakhiwa njengamanje yinkampani yokusabalalisa ugesi i-WEL Networks kanye nonjiniyela we-Infratec.

Futhi eNorth Island, lowo msebenzi ususondele osukwini lwawo lokuqeda okulindeleke ngoDisemba kulo nyaka, ngobuchwepheshe be-BESS obuhlinzekwa yi-Saft kanye nezinhlelo zokuguqula amandla (PCS) yi-Power Electronics NZ.

Kucatshangwa ukuthi uhlelo lokugcina ibhethri lokuqala lezwe elinamandla e-megawatt lwaluyiphrojekthi engu-1MW/2.3MWh eyaqedwa ngo-2016 kusetshenziswa i-Tesla Powerpack, okuwukuqala kukaTesla ukwenziwa kabusha kwesisombululo se-BESS sezimboni nesegridi. Kodwa-ke i-BESS yokuqala exhunywe kugridi yokudlulisa enamandla aphezulu eNew Zealand yafika eminyakeni emibili ngemva kwalokho.