Saturday 8 February 2014

AREVA and Schneider sign energy storage deal

French firms AREVA and Schneider Electric have joined forces to spur the development of energy storage technologies.

They will combine their expertise to create storage solutions that improve the reliability of electricity grids in isolated sites and areas where access to power is limited.

It will be based on AREVA’s existing ‘Greenergy Box’ (pictured) which stores the hydrogen and oxygen from water electrolysis when energy demand is low in order to produce electricity during peak consumption periods.

The storage system will be combined with a hydrogen fuel cell which can convert the gas back into electricity that can be put into the grid.

Schneider Electric will work as the grid integrator and hopes the partnership will help it manage intermittency and improving the efficiency of the network connection.

Frédéric Abbal, EVP of Schneider Electric’s Energy Business said: “This agreement will create a robust commercial partnership for deploying an innovative solution in energy storage.”