ABB has recently been awarded a contract by Constellation, a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation, to engineer, manufacture and commission seven Enviline Energy Storage Systems (ESS) with Lithium-ion battery storage from Saft America. The ESS will provide 8.75-megawatts of frequency regulation support on the PJM electric grid and recover train braking energy on the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) train network. This contract brings ABB's installed base of commercially operating Enviline ESS train braking energy recovery systems to 15MW, the largest of any supplier.
"Transit authorities across North America are faced with increased energy costs and pressure to achieve sustainability objectives. ABB's Enviline ESS for DC rail transportation is an effective and economical solution that addresses these issues." explains Derek Monk, general manager, DMPC, ABB in Canada. "ABB has a long and successful presence in DC traction power and is proud to be a leader in the transformation and modernization of train networks such as that of SEPTA."
The project, which is among the first commercially deployed battery storage systems in a transit operation, requires no upfront capital investment from SEPTA and will be financed through a 20-year battery services agreement with Constellation.
"Constellation is pleased to work with ABB to bring this innovative, battery storage network online for our customer," said Gary Fromer, senior vice president of distributed energy at Constellation. "As a competitive energy supplier, we aim to provide our customers with the best long-term economic and business solutions for how their energy is produced and supplied." The design and manufacturing of the Energy Storage Systems will take place in North America and the units are scheduled for delivery before the end of 2016.
