Irish firm Schwungrad Energie has announced that the first Hybrid flywheel energy storage plant is to be developed in Ireland.

It is being developed in collaboration with the Department of Physics & Energy at University of Limerick and will be based in Rhode, County Offaly.

It has received the support of Beacon Power, LLC, a US-based company.

Approximately 30 to 40 jobs will be created during the construction phase which is now underway. A further 10 to 15 sustainable jobs will follow. Flywheel technology produces and stores small but highly flexible amounts of power to suit grid requirements.

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Schwungrad received the first phase of up to €2.55m European Commission Horizon 2020 funding to assist the project in December 2014, aimed at developing a hybrid system security and reliability technology, to overcome technical barriers and enable the establishment of low carbon and efficient energy systems.

Additional investment has been received from Offaly-based company, RR Projects and the European Commission, to facilitate development of Europe's first Hybrid flywheel system service facility.

EirGrid selected the project as a potential 'Demonstration Project' under its Smart Grid Programme. The initiative promotes and supports the development, trialling and proofing of new concepts, solutions and technologies. It focuses on projects that demonstrate specific smart grid concepts in an Irish power system context, particularly system services.

Schwungrad and EirGrid are investigating possible collaboration on how best to operate the plant to provide rapid frequency response and voltage control, which contribute to system stabilisation.

(CD/JP)