ESB partners with Ardagh Group to increases resilience and energy security at its glass container production plant in Scotland
- Ardagh Group’s Irvine facility in Scotland becomes first glass plant in the UK to implement a sustainable battery solution that increases resilience and energy security
- During peak energy consumption times the battery is a back-up solution and when demand is low energy is sent back to the grid
- This two-way grid solution embraces the National Grid’s Firm Frequency Response service
17th April 2018
ESB’s Smart Energy Services (ESB) has delivered an integrated battery and grid platform solution for Ardagh Group S.A. (NYSE: ARD), (Ardagh Group) to transform how energy is managed at its glass packaging plant in Irvine, Scotland. The Irvine plant requires large amounts of energy to support the manufacture of glass containers in a continuous process, 365 days a year.
The solution is a combination of two parts: firstly, the Tesla battery is designed to efficiently store energy during periods of lower demand at the plant and to support demand during intermittent power failures. This means that Ardagh Group benefits from a secure, resilient and reliable supply of green energy, helping to support its sustainability agenda.
The second part of the solution is a grid-optimising platform delivered by ESB’s partner, GridBeyond, enabling Ardagh Group to participate in the National Grid’s Firm Frequency Response service. In practice, the battery reduces the plant’s reliance on the grid and when excess energy stored by the battery is not required, it can be delivered back to the National Grid. This Battery Storage Project is a UK-first in the Manufacturing Industry.
Annelene Fisser, Group CSR & Sustainability Manager, Ardagh Group, said: “We are committed to environmental responsibility and sustainable manufacturing processes and had been exploring battery storage solutions to help us effectively meet these commitments. When ESB approached us with its battery storage offering, we felt confident that this would provide the efficient and cost effective solution we were looking for, which it has now successfully delivered.”
Paul Mulvaney, Executive Director , ESB Innovation, said: “We are delighted to partner with Ardagh Group to deliver one of the first battery storage solutions that benefits the customer with increased resilience as well as helping to balance the grid during peak periods. We have a portfolio of energy services and will continue to work with Ardagh Group on other opportunities.”
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About ESB
ESB is Ireland’s foremost energy company and the largest supplier of renewable electricity. Through innovation, expertise and investment, ESB is leading the way in developing a modern, efficient electricity system, capable of delivering sustainable and competitive energy supplies to our customers. Every day, ESB works for a better energy future by investing in low-carbon generating technologies in Ireland and Great Britain, building smarter electricity networks in Ireland and working with others to find innovative solutions to today’s energy challenges.
ESB Energy recently launched its very competitive electricity and gas offerings to residential customers in Great Britain. For large energy users in the UK, ESB’s Smart Energy Services collaborates to dramatically reduce energy costs, carbon emissions and consumption. Building on its development of an interoperable cross-border system of public charging points on the island of Ireland, ESB is a winning bidder in a major Transport for London (TfL) tender process to provide rapid charging infrastructure and services for electric vehicles in London, including the iconic black cabs in the UK capital.
For further information, please visit: esb.ie/smartenergy
About Ardagh Group
Ardagh Group is a global leader in metal and glass packaging solutions, producing packaging for the world's leading food, beverage and consumer brands. It operates 109 facilities in 22 countries, employing approximately 23,500 people and has global sales of approximately €7.6 billion.
For further information, please visit: https://www.ardaghgroup.com