Samsung SDI has won an energy storage system (ESS) project for Duke Energy, the largest electric power holding company in the United States.
This is the second achievement for the Korean company after landing a deal to supply ESS batteries for an American energy supplier last year. Samsung SDI said on July 1 that it signed an agreement with Duke Energy to supply lithium-ion batteries and battery management systems for the latter's 36-megawatt ESS project. A 36-megawatt energy storage system can store electricity equivalent to powering 7,200 four-family households simultaneously.
The project calls for replacing lead-acid batteries currently in place in the Notrees Wind Storage Project in West Texas with lithium-ion batteries. Lead-acid batteries are bulkier and lower in energy density than lithium-ion batteries.
With the latest order, the standing of Samsung SDI is expected to go up in the world's ESS market. According to B3, an energy market research firm, Samsung SDI accounted for 23.6 percent of the share in the global lithium-ion battery market last year. In this market, Samsung's share has climbed up from 12.9 percent in 2012 and 16.6 percent in 2013.