KNESS completed the implementation of more than 100 MWh capacity of energy storage systems within the framework of special auctions won.
These are eight energy storage parks of various capacities located in southern and central Ukraine. All facilities are connected to the power grid, certified by transmission system operator, with the status of the electricity market participant obtained and will provide comprehensive frequency containment reserve (FCR) and automatic frequency restoration reserve (aFRR) services starting October 1.
The specified “start” date on the ancillary services market is stipulated by the contractual obligations to the TSO.
Discussing this achievement with The Voice of Renewables, Sergii Shakalov, co-owner and СЕО of KNESS said: “We have invested approximately $40 million in the implemented energy storage, using our own, partner and bank financing. Such level of innovative energy facilities significantly strengthens the stability and reliability of Ukrainian power system. We are delighted to be involved in the development of a new energy industry — a sustainable, technological, and modern one.”
KNESS team implemented one of the largest portfolios of ESS projects in Ukraine in just one year. This process consisted of two main stages. The first stage involved the physical implementation of the facilities: from development, design, procurement, and equipment supply to construction, commissioning, and connection to the grid. The second stage was the market integration of all constructed ESS facilities. This involved certifying all the facilities for compliance with the requirements for ancillary service providers, synchronizing the ESS with the Energy Management System (EMS), and obtaining market participant and ancillary service provider status.
The majority of ESS projects are implemented based on technological solutions from our strategic partner HiTHIUM, a global manufacturer of energy storage equipment. KNESS RnD center team developed a software and hardware complex, the Energy Management System, specifically for managing these facilities. The system accommodates all modes of operation of the partner’s equipment and is integrated with the trading platforms of JSC Market Operator and the market management system. This allows trading operations for the ESS to be generated from a single interface and automatically executed according to specified parameters.
It is important to highlight that one of the implemented projects with a capacity of over 10 MW is unique for Ukraine, as it was built using ESS by KNESS’s design and production. Our R&D team created this high-tech solution from a prototype to a complex system specifically for the ancillary services market. This is a Ukrainian development, scaled up to an important and powerful energy facility. The entire intellectual ESS component is also the result of our R&D work. This includes systems for monitoring and controlling all ESS components. It is the software that transforms the installation into an intelligent energy facility, ensuring safety, flexibility, and controllability.
“The launch of a whole range of ESS projects is backed by years of research and intellectual work to gain experience and expertise. Four years ago, our R&D team began experimenting with various energy storage technologies, actively working on the architecture and configuration of the ESS and modelling its operating modes in the ancillary services market. As a result, we designed, developed, and manufactured our own energy storage solution. Its value lies in its unique technological design, smart algorithms, and Ukrainian origin.” — mentions co-owner and CBDO of KNESS, Ievgen Didichenko.
“Commissioning these energy storage systems represents a new level of security and flexibility for the power system, ensuring a reliable electricity supply to millions of Ukrainians and industry. This is our conscious investment in the sustainability of our country, allowing us to move confidently towards energy independence and full integration into the European energy space.”
