- IKERLAN is working on several technology transfer projects with Capital Energy, which aspires to be the first 100 % renewable energy operator.
Renewable energies are one of the keys to achieving the decarbonisation of the economy, but today they present challenges associated with their great variability, uncertainty and instability: the sun is not always shining, there is not always enough wind or, on occasions, it blows too hard. The development of new energy storage technologies is a priority in order to complete the transition to a sustainable energy model and, in this context, IKERLAN is collaborating with Capital Energy in the development of an innovative multi-technological solution that, combining data analysis and Artificial Intelligence, will provide stability to the electricity grid from renewable resources.
Specifically, IKERLAN is working with Capital Energy - a company that aspires to be the first 100 % renewable energy operator on the Iberian Peninsula - on various technology transfer projects aimed at ensuring a quality electricity supply for the end user, whether for industrial residential use or to promote the integration of renewables: the AliCE smart storage project and the IA4BAT project, focused on optimisation and artificial intelligence for battery operation in real time, are examples of this.
With the AliCE project, IKERLAN has developed a tool that allows Capital Energy to evaluate the profitability of integrating storage systems in the different application segments. This tool makes it possible to optimise the size and operation of storage systems in order to, among other aspects, participate efficiently in electricity markets. AliCE has been co-funded by the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI) and is already in its final stretch.
At more detailed level, IKERLAN has developed a disruptive tool to evaluate the integrated operation of renewable plants and storage systems. This tool includes the design of energy management strategies that determine the optimal sizing of the storage system taking into account the technical-economic analyses, in addition to the programming of the optimisation algorithm for participation in the energy and adjustment services markets.
Likewise, the centre is carrying out a development on a PLC or programmable logic controller, working on the specifications, design, implementation and validation of the complete algorithm needed to control the storage systems which, after a testing phase at the technology centre's facilities in Arrasate-Mondragón, will be transferred to the Las Tadeas wind farm (Palencia), currently in operation. The energy storage systems used in AliCE have been developed by the Navarrese company BeePlanet Factory and are manufactured with second-life batteries from the automotive sector.
The work developed in the AliCE project is complemented by IA4BAT, another transfer project based on artificial intelligence for real-time battery operation. IA4BAT has been co-funded by RED.ES and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
For this project, IKERLAN has developed a model, based on machine learning techniques, to study battery degradation, as well as a cloud platform capable of collecting field information, hosting models and running them, thus enabling improvements to be applied for Capital Energy.
This project reaffirms IKERLAN's capacity for technology transfer to companies and its potential to offer multi-technology to its customers, as in this case, related to renewable energy storage and artificial intelligence, introducing new services in the market, offering a high degree of intelligence applied to the product and promoting better energy management in balance markets and setting services.
About IKERLAN
IKERLAN is a leading centre in technology transfer and in the contribution of competitive value to industry. It offers integral solutions combining different technological domains in two main areas: Electronics, Information and Communication Technologies (EICT), and Energy and Mechatronics. The technology centre's team is currently made up of 400 people. As a co-operative member of the MONDRAGON Corporation and the Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), IKERLAN maintains a sustainable, competitive business model in permanent transformation.
