UK's fastest energy storage system launches 

The system, which the university said is the UK's fastest as well as one of its largest, is capable of responding to National Grid demands in 4/10ths of a second. It is also the first in the country to use a lithium titanate battery.

Toshiba's 2MW battery is made up of 21,120 cells and can supply energy to 3,000 homes for 20 minutes. It was chosen for its rapid charge and discharge times, its long lifetime and its safety.

“As the demand for energy increases in the UK, storage systems are needed to balance supply," said Prof David Stone, director of the Willenhall Facility and the Centre for Electrical Energy Storage at the University of Sheffield.

"The first commercial projects are coming on line, but there are still many technical issues to be explored in order to maximise the potential of these technologies and to reduce costs. This dedicated national research facility has been designed to offer enhanced frequency response to peaks in demand and is available to be used by other academic and industrial projects for their research and to test new technologies."