By NEW YORK — Sumitomo Corporation together with Sumitomo Corporation of Americas (collectively “Sumitomo Corporation Group”) announced today they are to commence operation of their innovative battery power storage system, Willey Battery Utility, LLC, that they have been constructing in Hamilton County, Ohio since April. This facility will provide a reliable and stable supply-demand balancing service for the frequency regulation market operated by PJM*, the largest independent service operator of wholesale electricity in the U.S.
“As a developer of wind and solar power plants which are unavoidably intermittent generation sources, we think it is quite important that we also contribute to the stabilization of power grids through balancing services. Understanding that energy storage service is indispensable for further penetration of renewable energy, we will keep trying to expand our footprint in the energy-storage space, not only in frequency-regulation but also in other types of storage services,” said Nick Hagiwara, Director, Power and Infrastructure Group, Sumitomo Corporation of Americas.
With the rise in the percentage of electricity generated from renewable resources with high-output fluctuation, such as wind and solar energy, it is becoming increasingly important to balance and manage the difference between actual and forecasted electricity demand, and stabilize the output of electricity to consumers. Sumitomo Corporation Group has identified this need, and has piloted projects in Japan creating innovative battery storage systems from reused batteries of electric vehicles. These programs were piloted on the islands of Yumeshima, Osaka, Koshiki and Kagoshima in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Sumitomo Corporation Group aims to explore the effectiveness of battery power storage systems and their ability to stabilize the electricity grid with the growing use of renewable energy.
*PJM currently operates power grids in 13 states in the northeastern United States with a total electric power generation capacity of approximately 185,600MW, which is comparable to the total capacity of 230,000MW for all of Japan (excluding nuclear power generation capacity).
About Sumitomo Corporation
Sumitomo Corporation is a leading global trading company with 110 locations in 66 countries and 23 locations in Japan. The entire Sumitomo Corporation Group consists of nearly 900 companies and more than 70,000 personnel. The SC business is continuously expanding into a diverse range of products and services. Its core business units are Metal Products, Transportation & Construction Systems, Environment & Infrastructure, Media, Network, Lifestyle Related Goods & Services, Mineral Resources, Energy, and Chemical & Electronics.
About Sumitomo Corporation of Americas
Established in 1952 and headquartered in New York City, Sumitomo Corporation of Americas (SCOA) has 8 offices in major U.S. cities. SCOA is the largest subsidiary of Sumitomo Corporation, one of the world’s leading traders of goods and services. As an integrated business enterprise, the firm has emerged as a major organizer of multination projects, an expediter of ideas, an important international investor and financier, and a powerful force for distribution of products and global communications through a network of offices worldwide.
SCOA continues to grow its renewable energy business and has extensive experience developing, operating and owning power generating facilities such as wind, geothermal, biomass and solar businesses around the world. Investments include 200MW Mesquite Creek Wind Farm in western Texas; 845MW Shepherds Flat Wind Farm in Oregon ; two Kansas wind farms, the 131MW Cimarron II and 168MW Ironwood projects; Stanton wind project, a 120-MW wind power facility in Texas; and Desert Sunlight, a 550MW solar power project in California.
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