GE Energy Storage Technologies, a unit of GE Transportation, on April 20 unveiled its Durathon battery technology for utility companies.
As power consumption continues to grow, infrastructure ages, and new elements evolve such as renewables and electric vehicles, the grid is being asked to perform as never before. GE’s Durathon battery technology offers an intelligent way to approach these issues. As part of a simple energy storage system, GE’s Durathon battery provides an alternative to costly new power structures, which enables energy to be utilized when it’s needed.
“Utility companies are facing unprecedented challenges and we’re working with them to create a better energy system, one that can bring energy to customers where it’s needed, when it’s needed, efficiently and for the best price,” said Prescott Logan, general manager GE Energy Storage Technologies. “GE’s Durathon battery technology has been developed to change the future of power generation, transmission and distribution for end-users around the globe.”
Because of its proprietary chemistry, the Durathon battery has the ability to last up to two decades while providing optimal charge and discharge times. Durathon batteries are well suited for applications in extreme temperature environments because the need for an expensive controlled environment is not required to deliver peak performance. This minimizes installation costs along with the batteries high energy density.
The Durathon battery technology has been developed to support a broad range of utility-oriented applications, such as: transmission and distribution upgrade deferral, time shifting, congestion relief, peak shaving, load following and reserve capacity. Additionally, it will support end-user applications such as time of use (TOU) management, demand charge reduction, and power quality improvement.
GE’s new battery plant will be located in Schenectady, N.Y., and is expected to create 350 new jobs in the region. The facility has the advantage of being in close proximity to GE Global Research in Niskayuna, where researchers will continue to work on enhancements to the battery chemistry and related systems technology. GE is making a $150 million investment to build upon the Durathon battery technology through the development of new materials, new manufacturing technologies and intelligent controls.
