Samsung SDI Signs Large-scale Contract to Supply ESS to Duke Energy

Samsung SDI will provide energy storage systems (ESSs) for Duke Energy.

The Korean battery manufacturer said on July 1 that it had signed a contract to supply its 36 megawatt-hour (MWh) lithium-ion batteries and battery management systems for a wind power plant for the largest power production company in North America. 

By winning the large-scale deal with Duke, Samsung SDI has come to establish a solid foundation in the North American ESS market, following the contract to supply 25 MWh commercial ESS for U.S. energy solution service provider GCN in Oct. last year.

The project with Duke Energy this time is for replacing, from next year, the existing 36-megawatt energy storage and power management system of the Notrees wind farm in Texas with SDI’s lithium-ion batteries and battery management systems. The 32 MWh lead acid battery-based energy system of Duke’s wind power plant has been in operation since 2012. The system, however, has problems such as lower energy density, shorter lifespan, and smaller power output compared with lithium-ion batteries.

Duke Energy, established in 1924, operates North America's largest energy business ranging from coal, nuclear, and natural gas to renewable energy.

In the meantime, the total capacity of lithium-ion energy storage systems in the U.S. will grow to 4,300 MWh in 2020 from 340 MWh in 2015, according to U.S. market researcher Navigant Research.