Energy
50
Innovation and R&D
As Finland increases its reliance on renewable energy and phases out fossil fuels, the stability of the national electricity grid becomes more difficult to maintain. Kemijoki Oy, a leader in hydropower production, aimed to enhance the efficiency of its operations by integrating energy storage systems (ESS).
They were interested in solutions that would; 1. Reduce mechanical wear-and-tear on turbines caused by rapid load changes; 2. Improve the plant’s ability to balance short-term fluctuations in energy demand; 3. Strengthen fast frequency containment reserve (FCR) capabilities to help stabilize the grid in real time.
Hydropower units faced high wear due to frequent ramping.
Rising demand for second-by-second frequency balancing.
Need for technology that aligns with volatile renewable input.
Catapult ran an 8-week deep-dive research sprint with Kemijoki to assess the viability of different energy storage technologies and how they could complement existing hydropower operations.
The process included:
A kickoff workshop to define objectives and criteria.
Market and technology analysis across multiple ESS categories.
Delivery of a structured output including a market overview, investment insights, longlist and shortlist of vendors, and 13 detailed case profiles.
This resulted in the recommendation of supercapacitor-based systems—a fast-charging, high-cycle ESS type ideal for high-frequency regulation and short-duration energy storage in synergy with hydropower.
COO at Kemijoki
Following the research, Kemijoki decided to pilot a supercapacitor-based energy storage system. This pilot will help determine how such a system could:
Reduce stress on hydropower machinery.
Improve efficiency and regulatory compliance.
Enhance participation in the balancing power market.
Kemijoki has been investigating the joint use of hydropower and batteries since 2017. In 2020 we had a great honour to step into this journey to help them map out and gain a deeper understanding on various energy storage technology verticals.
Supercapacitors selected for rapid charge/discharge and longevity (over 1 million cycles).
Real-world testing underway to validate performance and scalability.
Supports a more flexible, domestic, and carbon-neutral electricity system.
Reach out to us to learn how Catapult could help your organisation.
The collection of researches in various industries and verticals is crafted by our in-house business thinkers, data analysts and growth hackers.
