A transformation of Idrija into a smart city has already been in full development

25. 03. 2021

The establishment of the battery energy storage systems presents a part of a three-year lasting Slovenian - Japanese project of smart networks and smart communities NEDO, the value of which amounts to 35 million of EUR, and whose framework holders are the Japanese agency NEDO, its authorized contractor Hitachi, and the Slovenian company Eles as a system service provider of the Slovenian transmission grid. Concerning the progress, the project is in the completion of the second phase, whose main task is the establishment of smart communities in Idrija and Ljubljana by means of the installation of the battery energy storage systems and the regional energy management systems.

Prior to the delivery of equipment, the design engineering team of the company Kolektor Sisteh elaborated all the required documents for the installation of the equipment from the MV power distribution, transformers, to the other components, providing a safe and reliable operation of the system. The battery energy storage system is designed as a hybrid system, that is, a combination of Li-ion batteries and of lead batteries, with the highest operating power of 1 MW and the capacity of 1.2 MWh. Some building interventions were required prior to the commencement of the incorporation of the equipment, since the building needed some adaptations concerning these equipment. 

The works are being carried out according to the applicable time-scaled schedule of works and services. The present situation, imposed by the epidemic of Covid-19, dictates a remote supervision of the incorporation of the energy storage batteries by Japanese engineers. The completion of works and the equipment start-up, foreseen in June, will be followed by the half-year test operation.

The demonstration project NEDO will enable, so to the city of Idrija as to the Slovenian electricity industries and to the Slovenian community, a testing of new functionalities in the domain of the energy supply and management. Thus, Idrija is on the way to become one of the first Slovenian cities having an incorporated electricity storage plant and a regional public infrastructure management system with adaptive electric demand.