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Moreover, flywheel energy storage system array (FESA) is a potential and promising alternative to other forms of ESS in power system applications for improving power system efficiency, stability and security . However, control systems of PV-FESS, WT-FESS and FESA are crucial to guarantee the FESS performance.
Flywheel energy storage systems (FESS) are considered environmentally friendly short-term energy storage solutions due to their capacity for rapid and efficient energy storage and release, high power density, and long-term lifespan. These attributes make FESS suitable for integration into power systems in a wide range of applications.
A dynamic model of an FESS was presented using flywheel technology to improve the storage capacity of the active power distribution system . To effectively manage the energy stored in a small-capacity FESS, a monitoring unit and short-term advanced wind speed prediction were used . 3.2. High-Quality Uninterruptible Power Supply
The operation of the electricity network has grown more complex due to the increased adoption of renewable energy resources, such as wind and solar power. Using energy storage technology can improve the stability and quality of the power grid. One such technology is flywheel energy storage systems (FESSs).
In October 2022, a meeting was convened in Banjul, Gambia's capital city, in which representatives of the member countries of ECOWAS validated the feasibility study for the construction of the 150 MW Soma Solar Power Station, in Soma, Gambia.
The Gambia will build a 150 MW solar farm near the planned 250kV/30kV substation in Soma, to either upload power to stabilize the Gambian grid or for injection into the West African Power Pool or both, depending on conditions.
As of January 2019, Gambia had total installed generating capacity of approximately 139 megawatts. Of this, the Gambia National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC), generated 102 megawatts and an independent power producer generated approximately 26 megawatts, at Brikama, an urban centre, south of Banjul.
A total of 15 substations will be built in the region, stepping down power from 225kV to 30kV for eventual distribution to homes, businesses and industry. One of those substations is under development in the town of Soma, Gambia.
A flywheel-storage power system uses a flywheel for grid energy storage, (see Flywheel energy storage) and can be a comparatively small storage facility with a peak power of up to 20 MW. It typically is used to stabilize to some degree power grids, to help them stay on the grid frequency, and to serve as a short-term compensation storage.
China has the largest grid-scale flywheel energy storage plant in the world with 30 MW capacity. The system was connected to the grid in 2024 and it was the first such system in China. In the United States, Beacon Power operates two 20 MW grid-scale flywheel energy storage plants in Stephentown, New York and Hazle Township, Pennsylvania.
These storage facilities consist of individual flywheels in a modular design. Energy up to 150 kWh can be absorbed or released per flywheel. Through combinations of several such flywheel accumulators, which are individually housed in buried underground vacuum tanks, a total power of up to several tens of MWh can be achieved.
The city of Fresno in California is running flywheel storage power plants built by Amber Kinetics to store solar energy, which is produced in excess quantity in the daytime, for consumption at night. Intermittent nature of variable renewable energy is another challenge.
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