Aggreko partners on EV fast charging

Global mobile and modular power, temperature control and energy provider Aggreko has delivered a net zero battery storage system to Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) in the US, to boost fast charging for electric vehicles (EVs).

Located at ANL’s Smart Energy Plaza near Chicago, Illinois, the net zero battery storage system enables extreme fast-charging of 1 Megawatt in 30-minutes.

The system comprises EV grid integration to manage stored energy, along with co-located EV fast charging and solar photovoltaics to decrease grid impacts and reduce energy costs.

ANL will use the project to gather data on EV charging exceeding 200kW to measure the system’s efficiencies and analyse its impact on the grid.

A key aspect of Aggreko’s partner role will be to assess the project’s performance in efficient EV charging that supports broader uptake of electric vehicles.

It says the project will support ANL’s US government-funded work to develop sustainable and reliable EV fast charging infrastructure, as demand grows for affordable, convenient charging stations across the US.

Karim Wazni, Managing Director of Aggreko Microgrid and Storage Solutions, said; “The shift towards electric vehicles is an important factor in helping global decarbonisation efforts, but the infrastructure needed to support this is extensive and complex.

“The team at Argonne National Lab are playing an important role in removing the barriers to adoption of EVs and supporting the broader rollout of this sustainable transport option and we are proud to be helping to achieve this.

“Our solution will not only make ANL’s energy infrastructure stronger and more flexible but will also monitor the impact of EV charge profiles and evaluate system efficiencies to support the fantastic work being undertaken by Argonne National Laboratory and the US Department of Energy.”

Donald Hillebrand, Division Director, Energy Systems, Argonne National Laboratory, said battery energy storage systems were the key to supporting expected growth in electric vehicles.

“Argonne is a global leader in research that explores the intersection of electric transportation and the future grid. The Aggreko battery energy storage system is useful in our research in that it is flexible, allows for fast deployment, and can be used in many different case studies.

“We hope that our research findings using the Aggreko system will lead us to more solutions in electric transportation systems, grid reliability, and ultimately clean carbon-free transportation in the future.”

Aggreko describes the project as the “latest milestone” in its own net zero journey. The regularly undertakes work with its customers to reduce local emissions, halve diesel usage and operate as a net zero business across its services by 2050.

Clean technologies offered by Aggreko include battery storage and solar power, and the company also promotes the use of alternative fuels such as biodiesel.