Biggest behind-the-meter storage system in Europe
Picture (left to right): Kieran Beausang, Project Manager, ESB Smart Energy Services, Richard Lennox, Climate Change Coordinator, Ardagh Group (Irvine), James Tedd, Energy Storage Specialist, ESB Smart Energy Services, Bishwa Giri, Energy Manager (Glass Europe), Ardagh Group (Irvine), George Dunlop, Electrical Engineering Supervisor, Ardagh Group (Irvine), Keith McKenzie Electrical Engineering Team Leader, Ardagh Group (Irvine)
Ardagh Group in Irvine, Scotland has implemented a sustainable battery storage system to increase resilience and energy security at its glass container plant. It is the biggest behind-the-meter storage system in Europe and the first system to be used in the glass industry.
The Irvine plant needs a reliable energy supply to support its continuous manufacture of glass containers throughout the year.
The sustainable battery, provided by ESB Smart Energy Services, provides the plant with a reliable back-up during peak energy consumption and sends energy back to the grid when demand is low. The solution is a combination of a Tesla battery and a grid-optimising platform.
The Tesla battery is designed to efficiently store energy during periods of lower demand and to support demand during intermittent power failures.
The grid-optimising platform enables Ardagh to participate in the National Grid's Firm Frequency Response service. In practice, the battery reduces the plant's reliance on the grid and when excess energy stored by the battery is not required, it can be delivered back to the National Grid.
Annelene Fisser, Ardagh's CSR & Sustainability Manager, said: "We are committed to environmental responsibility and sustainable manufacturing processes and had been exploring battery storage solutions for a long time to help us effectively meet these commitments.
"When ESB approached us with its battery storage offering, we felt confident that this would provide the efficient and cost effective solution we were looking for."
