Samsung SDI

Samsung SDI has announced the launch of a new UPS and ESS hybrid system, aptly named UES.

While the UES system stores power like an ESS system, it is also designed to work as a UPS system during power outages. The system has been fitted with lithium-ion cells and Samsung’s own energy management system, allowing a two-way exchange of energy that is said to both prevent power outages and reduce energy costs.

It is claimed that installing the UES could cut costs with up to 30%, compared using separate ESS and UPS systems.

The UES made its operational debut on 1 April, running at the company’s Uiwang R&D centre.

The unit installed in Uiwang will provide Samsung with the key data necessary to promote the system on the global UPS market.

Samsung SDI is contemplating opening a battery manufacturing plant in India.

Samsung SDI officials have met India’s telecom and IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad as a follow-up of their meeting in South Korea to discuss business options.

Samsung SDI broke ground on August 18 on a lithium-ion battery factory in the Chinese city of Xian.

The factory will be operational by October 2015 and produce some 40,000 units of battery cells annually to equip electric cars, the company said in a statement.

South Korea’s Samsung SDI and German car manufacturer BMW have expanded its partnership with a “multi billion euro” deal that includes the supply of Samsung’s lithium-ion batteries to BMW’s future electric vehicles.

Battery maker Samsung currently provides 96-cell 60Ah battery packs for BMW’s i8 plug-in hybrid and i3 electric car models. BMW plans to increase the order by "at least" 20% to 30% in 2016 from its 2014 level.

Construction has begun on the site to house Europe’s largest commercial battery park. German utility company WEMAG and Berlin-based renewables expert, Younicos, have begun working on the site that is due to be online in September 2014.

The site in Schwerin, northern Germany, will house a 5MWh battery to offset short-term power fluctuations from renewable energy sources to assist with stabilising grid frequency. Samsung SDI is supplying the lithium-ion cells with an assurance of 20 years performance guaranteed.

This is part of a Germany-wide effort to increase the use of renewable energy to lessen the dependence on fossil fuel and nuclear-generated electricity.

See the full report in the Summer issue of BEST magazine (issue 41) to read more about the Younicos and WEMAG project.