Electrovation develops the interaction between hydropower and energy storage
How can hydropower and batteries work together to make the electricity system more stable and better equipped for the future? This is what researchers are investigating in Elektrovation – a project where research and real needs in the energy industry meet.
Sweden's energy system is changing rapidly. We use more and more electricity at the same time as new types of electricity production and energy storage are being added. This places higher demands on the electricity grid to be able to handle changes and quickly adapt when the need for electricity changes.
The research project Elektrovation is therefore investigating how existing resources can be used in new ways to create a safer and more efficient energy system.
By allowing batteries and hydropower to work together, the researchers hope to be able to combine the strength of hydropower with the speed of batteries.
This is one of the issues that Viktor Döhlen works with in Electrovation. He is an industrial doctoral student and employed by Sollefteå municipality, which owns and operates the hydropower plant Sollefteåforsen AB.
- We are investigating how the ability of hydropower plants to react quickly can be improved by allowing energy storage to contribute with the speed that hydropower plants in some cases lack. This is important to be able to keep the electricity grid stable, both in everyday life and in crisis situations, says Viktor Döhlen.
Research that can be used in the real world
Within the project, there are three industrial doctoral students who work with research close to real needs. This means that the research is conducted both at Mid Sweden University and out in the operations where the technology can be used.
For Viktor, this means, among other things, that he can work with the technology in Mid Sweden University's lab in Sundsvall and at the same time test and compare the results with the real hydropower plant in Sollefteå.
- I have one foot in research, but at the same time I get direct feedback from the organisation about what needs are most important right now. This means that we can work scientifically with problems that actually need to be solved in the near future, he says.
The goal is for the research to be of benefit to Sollefteå municipality, but also to others who own hydropower plants. In the longer term, the results can contribute to the energy system being better equipped for disturbances and crises.
At the same time, there is an economic and environmental aspect. If batteries and other energy storage can be used more efficiently, it can reduce the need to expand or use other resources.
- We hope that the research can strengthen preparedness, but also make resources such as battery storage more efficient. This can reduce costs for both the wallet and the environment, says Viktor Döhlen.
For Viktor, it is precisely the combination of research and practical use that makes the project particularly interesting.
- Major changes are taking place in the entire energy industry right now. Being able to work with scientific methods to solve problems that we are already facing today is very fun.
More information
Elektrovation is funded by the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth and Region Västernorrland and is carried out in close collaboration between Energidalen Sollefteå, Sundsvall Elnät and Övik Energi, as well as in municipal collaboration with Sundsvall Municipality, Sollefteå Municipality and Örnsköldsvik Municipality.