Croatia plans to build a 20MWh energy storage system for an 11.2MW wind farm

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 30, German wind power developer wpd plans to repower the Trtar-Krtolin wind farm in Croatia and equip it with a battery energy storage system of up to 10MW/20MWh. The project plans to replace the existing 14 turbines with up to 5 new wind turbines, extend the wind farm's operating life, and optimize power output through the energy storage system.

The wind farm is located near Šibenik, Croatia, and was commissioned in 2006. It currently has 14 Enercon E-48 turbines, each with a capacity of 800kW, a tower height of approximately 50 meters, and a rotor diameter of 48 meters, with a total installed capacity of 11.2MW. The repowering plan involves dismantling the existing turbines and replacing them with up to 5 new turbines with a maximum unit capacity of 6MW each. Compared with the original equipment, the new turbines have significantly higher unit capacity, but the final wind power installed capacity of the project will still depend on the models actually selected and the construction plan; a definitive value has not yet been announced.

For the energy storage portion, a battery energy storage system of up to 10MW/20MWh is planned, with a rated storage duration of 2 hours. According to the project's environmental report, the energy storage system will be used to balance the wind farm's power output: storing part of the electricity when the wind farm is generating at full load, and releasing it to the grid when generation is insufficient and grid feed-in timing is more favorable, thereby optimizing wind power output and grid connection arrangements.

The project investor, Vjetroelektrana Trtar Krtolin, has submitted the relevant assessment application to Croatia's Ministry of Environmental Protection and Green Transition. At this stage, the work mainly involves environmental impact assessment screening for the repowering plan. The investor stated that the project aims to extend the wind farm's operating life so that it can continue generating electricity and supplying power to Croatia's power system in a safe, economical, and environmentally compliant manner.