Standard Energy said on Thursday it installed a vanadium ion battery (VIB) energy storage system (ESS) at Hanyang University’s Seoul campus and began full operation after passing a pre-use inspection. It is the second time a VIB ESS has been installed in central Seoul, after an ESS to support ultra-fast electric vehicle charging was installed at Apgujeong Hi-Mart in 2022.

The ESS will be deployed in a Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning national project, “Development and demonstration of a community energy management system (CEMS) for demand-based energy efficiency improvement.” In the project, led by GS E&C and involving Hanyang University and other organisations, the VIB ESS will be operated as a flexibility resource that supports peak power reduction and power quality stabilisation by linking with solar power, fuel cells and water electrolysis facilities. The goal is to raise the campus energy self-sufficiency rate by serving a sector-coupling role that ties different energy sectors into the power grid.

VIB is a non-lithium battery that uses a water-based electrolyte and has no fire risk. Its energy efficiency is at least 97 percent, and it has high-output performance that allows charging and discharging 4 times an hour. The company said the ability to operate without a safety burden even in a campus environment with heavy daytime foot traffic was one factor behind the installation decision. Standard Energy said it charged 2,400 electric vehicles over 1 year and 9 months in a 2022 demonstration in a densely populated area of Gangnam, Seoul, without a single accident.

Standard Energy CEO Bu-gi Kim (김부기) said, “As energy mixes at home and abroad are reshaped around renewable energy and new power demand such as the AI industry increases, power systems are facing challenges different from the past, and ESS as backup facilities will continue to grow as essential infrastructure for the power system.” He added, “Vanadium ion battery ESS can be a solution capable of responding to any demand from the grid and demand sites, and can become essential infrastructure for the power system.”