In the first of our series of Insights revolving around the battery storage sector on the island of Ireland, we explored the market for batteries at present. The DS3 arrangements are the focus for revenue capture at the moment for battery sites given the attractive DS3 regulated tariffs and reasonably low barrier to entry. However, we noted a point of caution; DS3 is not providing long term certainty and beyond April 2023, if not before, the market opportunities become more opaque.

In this Insight, we explore how the likely future reduction in DS3 rates will lead project sponsors to shift their risk appetite towards energy markets. An integral piece of this shift in business model will be design capabilities of the battery.

DS3 – Here today, but what of tomorrow?

We know that DS3 regulated tariffs are reasonably secure until around 2023, assuming that the tariffs are not reduced before. The maximum allowable budget for DS3 is €235mln per annum. Where this budget looks likely to be breached, or where EirGrid have procured more services than required, the regulated rates can be re-evaluated downward prior to 2023.

Beyond 2023, the DS3 contracts allow for two extensions of 18 months where deemed required by EirGrid. In the recent SEM Committee Scoping Paper on the future of system services, the following is stated;

“There is scope to extend the current contracts by two periods of 18 months. The RAs [Regulatory Authorities] may exercise this option should any issues arise which delay the implementation of a new framework”.

We expect the extension of these contracts to be subject to approval depending on the state of succeeding services programmes.

If we look to our neighbouring markets, we see that there is a likelihood for revenue markets to move and ebb and flow constantly. In Great Britain, we’ll soon see the movement away from Firm Frequency response to new products. In Germany and surrounding markets, the Operating Reserve markets have undergone market changes, now trending to shorter duration auction windows. At home, the SEM Committee have already initiated a scoping exercise on the future system services arrangements. It is clear therefore that keeping a project positioned in numerous revenue markets to stay ahead of this dynamic situation is of paramount importance.

Regulatory policy drives near term battery design

We’ve recently seen the CRU recognise the need to abolish double charging for network usage for battery technology. This raises the question; is a battery considered generation, supply or neither? It’s not a simple answer and hence the CRU have implemented an Interim Solution on Network Charging whilst the area is considered and a path forward developed.

The interim solution is to charge for network usage on the basis of Demand TUoS. This has the effect of incentivising asymmetric connections to the power system. In other words, batteries will look to reduce their Maximum Import Capacity whilst maximising Maximum Export Capacity. The battery can then optimise its DS3 provision and minimise its operating costs via reduced network charges. This makes sense today. However, as we’ve noted above, DS3 revenues are not set in stone for the lifetime of a battery installation, so this solution has the impact of slowing the rate of charge to replenish battery stores on the island.

In a world where arbitrage and system balancing becomes an important revenue possibility and system tool, how does this impact the potential for the battery installation?

We can see in the figure below, a battery installation with a MIC:MEC of 1:5. We can see the time taken to charge after a full discharge is therefore almost linearly extended.  Given that the unit requires this long to charge, it is highly unlikely the unit can avail of spreads within the daytime hours.

Consider this situation in an arbitrage model. The project is effectively limited to one cycle a day.

Were the unit to have a symmetric MIC:MEC, the opportunity for the battery to react more readily to system conditions is clearly apparent. This is highlighted in the graphic below. Note that these are highly illustrative examples and not considering other factors such as warranty limitations on cycling.

Not only do we consider the charge rate when assessing the capability of a battery to support system balancing, the duration of the battery is a clearly important metric.

The vast majority of batteries under development are in the range of 25-35minutes of useful life at full discharge. Again, the capability of a battery to contribute to an extended event, such as a major plant outage or a low wind period, is somewhat limited where the battery is constrained to such durations. We see the market developing towards 2-hour plus durations, however this is largely driven by the cell costs of batteries, and equally the assurance that the market signals such as negative pricing remain in place and are not otherwise dampened through regulation..

Business Models – Constant evolution

Given we know that the route to market which is available today for battery technology in Ireland will rapidly develop to create more optionality to project sponsors in the future, it’s important to plan for this future.

ElectroRoute has been engaging directly with project sponsors to develop a route to market for battery technology based on the commercial prospects and associated route to market requirements of the day, however while keeping an eye to the future and ensuring our framework enables the battery to optimise its revenue and adequately manage risk as the market continues to develop.

If you would like to speak to ElectroRoute regarding our Trading Solutions for energy storage  projects in Ireland, please contact brian.kennedy@electroroute.com

The post Battery Storage – Project Development in an Evolving Marketplace appeared first on ElectroRoute.

The development of the battery storage market on the island of Ireland, and indeed throughout Europe, is undergoing a somewhat expected surge in activity owing to the development of both the market structures and more generally the market characteristics, required in order to make a business case for the technology.

Following the recent announcement that ElectroRoute will be providing trading services to the 200MW portfolio of batteries with [Lumcloon], ElectroRoute outlines below the business case for battery storage projects on the island of Ireland at present, and points to the direction of travel for the business case over the years ahead.

DS3 – Lowering the barrier to entry for battery storage facilities

An important source of revenue for batteries in Ireland at present is the DS3 ancillary services regime, named DS3 due to its objective of “Delivering a Secure, Sustainable, Electricity System“.

Established by EirGrid in response to the recognition that the power system would need to develop substantially to operate in a safe and secure manner whilst accommodating increasing penetrations of renewables over the coming decades, DS3 is a wide reaching programme which includes the operation of 12 system services (with 2 further services to be procured in later gates) that can be provided by units operating on the power system.

The table below outlines the full list of ancillary services procured by EirGrid;

Battery technology is an excellent source of capability for a number of these services, particularly the faster acting frequency and reserve products.

The DS3 regime has two routes to market, namely via the Volume Capped auctions and Regulated Arrangements Volume Uncapped (“Regulated Arrangements”) tenders. The Volume Capped auction has completed and contracts are awarded (110MW of Volume Capped contracts were awarded to three battery facilities in 2019) with no current expectation of a new auction. The Regulated Arrangements continue to operate on the basis of a semi-annual tendered service.

Regulated Arrangements

The Regulated Arrangements for DS3 services operate on the basis of a bi-annual gate through which contracted parties can be included as providing units, subject to having passed EirGrid led testing on the battery’s ability to adequately provide the service tendered for.

These arrangements are expected to continue in force until April 2023. At this time, the DS3 contracts allow for two separate 18 month extensions where deemed required. In a recent SEM Committee Scoping Paper on the development of future System Services arrangements, it was outlined that such extensions will be approved by the regulatory authorities where the future arrangements are not yet in place. The contracts will therefore be expected to end should the future arrangements be put in place.

Stacked Revenue Streams

There are three market-based revenues streams available to energy projects on the island of Ireland, namely;

1. Capacity Remuneration Scheme
2. Energy Market Revenues
3. DS3 Revenues

Unlike the Volume Capped contracts, batteries with a DS3 Regulated Arrangement can also seek revenue opportunities in the energy and capacity markets.  However, the DS3 contract is structured to commercially incentivise high availability, so it is important that the route to market is managed to optimise available revenues.

At present, the DS3 rates are reasonably significant for providing units, which has encouraged a focus on this market for developers. DS3 revenues are expected to reduce as more providing units coming to market will have the effect of cannibalising these revenues. We therefore expect increasing reliance on the dynamics and price signals of the energy market to become a key consideration for battery developers in the near/medium term.

Energy Arbitrage – the Heir Apparent

The DS3 budget is limited to €235million per annum and has been increasing on a linear scale since 2015 (€54million per annum budget). We therefore see that with a capped budget and a surge in projects looking to avail of DS3 rates, the only lever which can be moved is the rate of payment.

The regulated tariffs can be altered in limited circumstances prior to the end of term including for circumstances where the budget cap is expected to be breached or where more services are procured than required. As a result, either at the end of contract term or potentially before, it is generally expected that the increased uptake in DS3 contracts will result in a cannibalisation of the tariffs available to projects in future years.

The DS3 rates will therefore over time become more comparable to those attainable for battery technology in energy /arbitrage markets. We see that ensuring an appropriate trading strategy which considers the risk profile of the project sponsor will become an integral part of the business model going forward.

Equally, the design of the battery, and the appropriate selection of import and export capacities for the sites will become a deciding factor in which batteries are capable of transitioning to an arbitrage led busines model.

In the next of our series on battery storage Insights, we explore the limitations and challenges of existing battery developments to adapt to a market less reliant of system services and more focused on capturing optionality in the energy market.

If you would like to speak to ElectroRoute regarding our Trading Solutions for energy storage  projects in Ireland, please contact brian.kennedy@electroroute.com

The post An Overview of Trading for Batteries in SEM appeared first on ElectroRoute.

Leading Irish energy trading and services firm ElectroRoute has confirmed it has entered into an agreement to provide trading solutions to the 200MW battery portfolio being developed by leading Korean firm Hanwha Energy Corporation and Lumcloon Energy Limited.

Construction is currently underway on the two energy storage sites at Lumcloon and Shannonbridge in Co. Offaly and once operational, the units will represent the largest operating batteries on the island of Ireland and one of the largest portfolios in Europe.  Hanwha has previously confirmed that €150 million is being invested in the project, which is supporting over 200 jobs during construction with around 20 permanent jobs at completion.

This major battery project will significantly support Ireland’s transition to a renewables-based electricity grid, and to ultimately meeting climate targets, by providing the grid stability services which are required to ensure a secure electricity system with high renewable penetration.  Electroroute’s trading services are integral to this by ensuring 24/7 access to market and providing all regulatory and risk-management solutions for developers.

ElectroRoute will assume responsibility for submitting the commercial and technical data for the batteries on a 24 hour basis to the Single Electricity Market (SEM) which provides the operators of the system a live understanding of the capability of the batteries, and ensures the batteries are always ready to support the power system when called upon. This provides EirGrid with a clear picture of the resource available to the power system from the portfolio. ElectroRoute also provide their clients with settlement services in the SEM.

ElectroRoute’s in-house Virtual Power Plant will be implemented which can directly operate the batteries from their Trading and Dispatch desk in Dublin. The operation of a battery on the power system would occur following an instruction received directly from the EirGrid National Control Centre.

ElectroRoute is a specialist energy trading business which has grown rapidly from a start-up in 2011 to now employing over 80 professionals located throughout Ireland, the UK and Japan.  Uniquely positioned at the crossroads of international energy markets, ElectroRoute trades energy 24 hours a day across the entire spectrum, including spot trading, futures trading, commodities and green certificates trading.  The partnership with Hanwha and Lumcloon will see it deploy its in-house Virtual Power Plant and 24/7 trading platform for battery technology.

While this is one of the first battery projects of significant scale in Ireland, a recent IWEA (Irish Wind Energy Association) report estimates that the country could require total battery capacity of 1,700MW of batteries on the island of Ireland by 2030 as part of the island’s drive to achieve a 70% renewable target by 2030.

Commenting on the agreement, Brian Kennedy, Head of Trading Solutions at ElectroRoute said, “We’re delighted to have been selected to support Hanwha and Lumcloon with trading solutions for this significant portfolio of batteries in Ireland. It is our first significant battery project and the culmination of considerable work in developing the right technology and systems. We’re excited by the prospect of adding further projects to our portfolio and working proactively with our clients to provide best in class solutions which manage their risk profile as it changes with the development of the energy market.”

Mr. Kennedy also noted, “There is a growing consensus worldwide that countries need to pursue environmentally-friendly energy solutions as part of the quest for energy security. Our trading solutions will enable our clients to help create leadership positions in renewable and flexibility markets.

We pride ourselves on providing best in class energy trading and risk management services which are bespoke to the individual requirements of each of our clients across our entire portfolio. In the case of our battery storage services, through a combination of our expert traders and purpose built trading infrastructure, we’re ensuring that these very fast acting and flexible assets are optimised for the system operators to call on at short notice and support the stability of the power system.”

Hanwha Energy Business Development Senior Vice President Mr. James Jonghyuk Lee added, “We are delighted to announce that ElectroRoute will provide trading services for our 200MW portfolio in Ireland for our first entry into the Irish market. ElectroRoute’s strong knowledge and experience in the market, combined with their 24/7 trading desk made them the obvious choice of trader to collaborate with on this project and we look forward to continuing our successful relationship.”

For more information, please contact:

Brian Kennedy, ElectroRoute – 01 901 9608

ABOUT ELECTROROUTE

ElectroRoute, is an energy trading and services company, that was established in 2011.  Since then, our mission has been to bring our pioneering spirit and precision analysis to the liberalised energy markets in Ireland, the UK, continental Europe and Japan.

Headquartered in Dublin, we employ a dedicated team of over 80 experienced energy professionals, trading on a 24/7 basis and managing over 1.4GW of assets.

For more information please contact us:
electroroute.com
+353 (0)1 687 5700
info@electroroute.com

ABOUT LUMCLOON ENERGY

Lumcloon Energy, is a project development company, established in 2008.  Our focus is on the development of projects which support the decarbonisation of the energy sector as electricity generation transitions to low carbon sources.

The post ElectroRoute Enters 200MW Battery Trading Agreement with Lumcloon Energy appeared first on ElectroRoute.