Vattenfall constructing unique battery storage facility in Uppsala
Uppsala Municipality is growing rapidly, increasing the demand for electricity. In order to meet the increased demand and enable Uppsala's continued expansion, Vattenfall Elanläggningar, a part of Vattenfall Network Solutions, is constructing the Nordic region's largest battery storage facility, with an area equivalent to about half a football pitch and the capacity to power Uppsala municipality's entire street lighting system.
Stable access to electricity is a precondition in enabling Uppsala to grow sustainably in the future too. As with many other municipalities, Uppsala periodically places a high load on its electricity grid, above all on cold winter days when industries are operating at full capacity and we are heating up our houses. A capacity shortage can then arise, in other words, there is a bottleneck in the power lines.
The battery storage facility is a part of an innovation project where Vattenfall wants to test different business models for commercial projects in the future. The new battery and technology are at the cutting edge and have been developed together with Vattenfall's research and development department. What is unique about the project is that it can both support the capacity of Uppsala's electricity grid and help the TSO Svenska kraftnät in its role of balancing the electricity grid.
Vattenfall wants to make continued expansion in Uppsala possible by installing a battery storage facility to be used when there is a shortage of capacity. A battery storage facility is a gigantic "powerbank" that is charged up when there is no demand for electricity and discharged when there is a high level of demand. Building an electricity grid takes time, it is a long-term project with lengthy permit processes before work can begin. Battery storage facilities are getting faster to build and are one of several solutions until such time as the electricity grid has been expanded.
"This is unprecedented for us and we have a lot to learn about the battery's applications. It is an innovation project," says Arne Berlin, project coordinator at Vattenfall Eldistribution AB, which has procured the pilot project.
"This will give our strained electricity grid well-needed relief. We need to do a lot to reduce capacity shortages in the coming years and innovations such as this are needed in the meantime," says Erik Pelling (S), chair of Uppsala's municipal executive committee.
Watch our video about the project (in Swedish): Vattenfall constructing unique battery storage facility in Uppsala
Read more about the project and the capacity challenge here (in Swedish)
For more information, please contact
Erik Pelling, chair of Uppsala's municipal executive committee: +46 18 727 13 18
Vattenfall’s Press office +46 8 739 50 10
Vattenfall Eldistribution AB aims to provide safe, efficient electricity supply that contributes to long-term social development and enables the energy transition to a fossil-free future. Vattenfall Eldistribution commissioned the research project.
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