OREANDA-NEWS. On 2 July 2015, Toshiba T&D Europe S.p.a. (TTDE) completed testing a 1MW-1MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Sardinia, and handed it over to the Italian Transmission System Operator, Terna S.p.a. Toshiba was the first of seven battery suppliers now installing systems in Sardinia, including Samsung SDi and Siemens, to successfully complete testing.

Terna S.p.a., Europe's largest independent transmission system operator, is setting up Storage Labs in Sardinia and Sicily to investigate several different battery storage technologies, seeking best solutions to support grid operation under different conditions of use.

Terna S.p.a. will use Toshiba's BESS to help manage Sardinia's grid. The main applications will be primary and secondary frequency regulation, voltage regulation and power balancing. The system is also capable of off grid operation and black start. Because of the continued increase of non-programmable renewable energy sources - and the consequent loss of spinning reserve – these applications and becoming increasingly important for transmission grids, and BESS are emerging as the best solution for their management.

The BESS designed and installed by TTDE is equipped with Toshiba SCiB™. A second 1MW-1MWh BESS for Terna, now being installed in Sicily, is expected to complete testing by September 2015.

Toshiba is promoting its BESS business in Japan and overseas. In Europe, we are participating in a research project with Gas Natural Fenosa, a Spanish utility, aiming to realize a more efficient and reliable distribution grid. Another BESS research project at the University of Sheffield in the U.K. that will be tested for use in frequency regulation, is now close to complete commissioning. In June, Toshiba won a contract for a BESS for frequency regulation from HELEN, one of Finland's largest utilities.

Toshiba continues global activities to enhance the implementation of large scale BESS, and sees the system as one of the most effective solutions for support electricity grids increasingly introducing of renewable energy generation sources.