LG Electronics constructs mega-capacity energy storage system at steel mill

By Park Sae-jin Posted : December 1, 2021, 15:10 Updated : December 1, 2021, 15:10

[Courtesy of LG Electronics]

SEOUL -- LG Electronics has established a mega-capacity energy storage system at a steel mill to reduce operating costs by storing electricity at night and using stored energy at energy peak times. It is South Korea's largest system capable of storing energy that is enough to power some 15,000 households a day.

An energy storage system (ESS) is normally a container-sized large-capacity modular battery pack. It is widely used in the renewable energy generation sector to store energy when solar or wind power plants are active. Electricity is distributed to microgrids, local electricity grids, or a dedicated electric grid when power is not generated. ESS is also used to store energy when the electricity is cheap at night times. 
 
LG Electronics said in a statement that the company has finished the construction of a 174.7-megawatt-hour capacity ESS at a steel mill operated by KG Dongbu Steel. It is equipped with special equipment that will prevent the spread of fire in cases of battery combustion. The system has a real-time monitoring solution that can be remotely controlled from a control tower.
 
Unlike traditional metalwork facilities that use fossil fuels to operate furnaces, modern steel mills use electric furnaces or electric-powered heating equipment to melt and process metals. Because the electric-powered heating process is very inefficient and consumes a lot of electricity, large amounts of money are used as operating costs.
 
Some manufacturing facilities including still mills use renewable energy such as rooftop solar power, micro hydro-power, or wind power to cut operating costs. In June 2021, Hanwha Q Cells, the solar cell-making wing of South Korea's Hanwha Group, was selected to lead a project to build solar panels on factory roofs and idle spaces in an industrial complex located at the southern port city of Pohang.
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