Will Pakistan build a battery energy storage system?

With funding support from the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) High-Level Technology Fund, the country will build its first large-scale, grid-connected Lithium-Ion Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to dispatch intermittent renewable energy and improve transmission network stability. Pakistan is facing a serious power shortage.

What is a battery energy storage system?

A lithium-ion battery energy storage system is a modular system that can be deployed in standard shipping containers. This system is designed for frequency regulation or the constant second-by-second adjustment of power to maintain system frequency at the nominal value to ensure grid stability.

What will Pakistan's new battery technology do?

With these batteries, Pakistan’s National Transmission and Dispatch Corporation Limited—the executing agency, will have a primary and secondary response to power variation and will be able to quickly stabilize frequency. This will avert the need for automatic under-frequency load-shedding.

Why is battery energy storage important?

Battery energy storage can provide regulating power at sub-second response times. This makes it an extremely useful asset for grid-balancing purposes. This kind of energy storage also provides a power system with flexibility especially when it comes to renewable energy integration.

Why is Pakistan facing a power shortage?

Pakistan is facing a serious power shortage. Aging, overloaded, and unreliable transmission and distribution systems have led to massive blackouts or frequent load shedding. In 2017, power system frequency was found to be operating outside the standard range almost 50% of the time because of lack of sufficient primary and secondary power reserves.