Leclanche

Swiss battery manufacturer Leclanche and Dutch energy storage specialist S4 Energy have completed work on a 10 MW hybrid energy storage system located in Heerhugowaard, North Holland. The system will serve the frequency containment reserve market as the Dutch grid continues to face serious congestion issues.

The proposed solution is claimed to be able to mitigate potential fire risk, improve logistics and reduce costs. It consists of a series of interchangeable wide blocks that are said to be easily movable for simplified transportation.

Plus, details have been revealed of a 2 MW/2.5 MWh grid scale storage demo project in Switzerland and for a peer-to-peer renewable energy certificate marketplace in Southeast Asia.

Storage has long been expected to be the handmaiden of a renewable energy world and its long awaited advances started to finally emerge in the third quarter as researchers posited R&D achievements ranging from potentially potent tungsten disulfide nanotubes to the business case for 10-year solar panels.

The Electric and Hybrid Marine World Expo in Amsterdam last week highlighted growing interest in storage technology from the sea vessel industry. Leading global battery manufacturers had their latest charging technologies on display, catering to rising demand for clean, efficient electric and hybrid marine systems.

The companies have invested €17 million in the project. The energy stored, in the Brandenburg project, will be used to stabilize the grid and minimize the curtailment of wind farms.

Agreement to wave requirement for chief shareholder FEFAM to conduct a full takeover paves way for shareholders to vote through a debt-for-equity swap that will reduce the historic battery maker’s debts by a reported 65% next Tuesday.

Venerable Swiss brand Leclanché is on an expansionist trail, notably in India and low-carbon shipping, but restructuring its debts will involve ceding even more control of the famous company to institutional investors.

The market for EVs is experiencing robust uptake worldwide with companies, governments and municipalities implementing policies to drive development. EVN and EVBox announced plans for expansion this week, and the UK government is also pouring investment subsidies into the electric vehicle market.

India’s Exide Industries Limited and Switzerland-based Leclanché S.A. have announced a 75%-25% joint venture (JV) under which lithium-ion (Li-ion) cells, modules and battery packs will be manufactured in the state of Gujarat.