20 MW battery power conditioning system for Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority

The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) determined that their current distribution system was unsatisfactory for its customers in 1988. The system utilizes automatic load shedding for frequency regulation during the loss of a large generating station. This frequency excursion occurs within seconds after the trip. As a result of these occurrences, PREPA proceeded to evaluate several types of energy storage technologies and the installation of gas turbines to stabilize their system and improve overall system response. This paper describes the power conversion system and the methodology PREPA used to determine the technical and economic advantages of a battery energy storage system.<>