"As the wind blows ..." - so goes a famous saying, referring to the unpredictability of a situation. Although the saying is typically used in a transposed meaning, it is read very literally by wind turbine producers and energy researchers. Sometimes the wind drives wind turbines faster than we can consume energy - other times the wind does not blow at all. Therefore, a storage solution for wind turbines is in high demand.

Wind energy is today the fastest growing renewable energy source in Europe, and the potential for wind energy can grow further if there are effective methods of storing energy. Storage can ensure stable energy production and reduce the need for upgrading of the power grid.

A promising solution consists in storing the energy locally in the individual wind turbine. Energy storage only needs to account for about 8% of the wind park capacity to eliminate almost 90% of fluctuations in energy production. Although there are already a number of different energy storage solutions, these have a number of limitations such as of high procurement and maintenance costs, which impedes extensive implementation.

"The potential for a cost-effective energy storage solution in wind turbines is enormous. With such technology, we will be able to make wind turbines an active and constant energy source, which will accelerate the competitiveness of wind energy to new heights,” says Kristoffer Qvist Nielsen, Head of Global R&D, KK Wind Solutions.

The purpose of the project is to develop a new modular battery storage solution, which is integrated into the wind turbine itself. The solution will be based on a combination of state-of-the-art battery technology and software algorithms that enable monitoring and control of the batteries. The goal is to improve functionality, stability, reliability and lifetime, as well as reduce procurement and maintenance costs.

The project is a collaboration between KK Wind Solutions, Vestas, PowerCon and Aalborg University, which together will reach a new milestone in Danish wind turbine innovation. In addition, the project will contribute to the achievement of climate policy goals by increasing the share and utilization of wind energy.