Germany, Austria: Energy storage for rest areas

Background

Rapidly growing e-mobility and the increasing demand for renewable energy are developments that are extremely welcome for society as a whole. For ASFINAG and Deutsche Autobahn GmbH, these changes mean great opportunities as well as great challenges.

More e-cars on the roads make a solid charging infrastructure covering the entire motorway and expressway network in Austria and Germany necessary and have to withstand large crowds at peak times in order to enable fast and convenient charging for users. It can be assumed that the number of charging points and the density of charging stations will increase massively in order to cover the enormous demand that is emerging. In addition, more and more power is required for charging stations to enable fast charging technology for passenger cars and to be able to serve electric trucks in the future.

The planned fast charging infrastructure along the motorway in Austria and Germany requires very expensive grid connections, which entail larger and lengthy construction measures.

ASFINAG and Deutsche Autobahn GmbH are looking for solutions to temporarily store electricity so that users can charge their e-cars and e-trucks at peak times. This is intended to enable more continuous power consumption, which largely absorbs load peaks and thus enables fast charging processes even at rest stops with a grid connection that is currently too small. The maximum power of the charging points should be available over a longer period of time, so the connections should be able to be dimensioned as needed. This is particularly important for certain areas that cannot otherwise be developed and operated due to their exposed location.

In addition to regular mains power, ASFINAG and Deutsche Autobahn GmbH are increasingly relying on self-sufficiency through photovoltaics, water and wind power plants and are constantly expanding these technologies. In the future, it should also be possible to store self-generated energy in order to be able to fully operate rest areas and rest areas, real estate (e.g. motorway maintenance depots) and buildings (e.g. tunnels and bridges) and to be able to supply your own vehicle fleet.

Question the applicants should solve

Which energy storage solutions can be used at rest areas and service areas to absorb peak electricity loads from e-charging infrastructures?

Desired result

With regard to storage technology, the challenge is open-ended. It is important that there is electricity both at the beginning of the charging chain and at the end. Hydrogen and other chemical storage options are welcome, but must be available again in the form of electrical energy at the end of the storage process. The same applies to thermal energy. It is explicitly not desired to provide energy in the form of heat. However, the use of waste heat can also be cited as a positive side effect of storing electricity.

The main application for the sought-after energy storage solution is to store electricity from existing grid connections at times when e-car charging activities are low, so that it can then be called up again at peak times. As a secondary application, it should also be possible to feed in self-generated energy (photovoltaic and wind power) in order to, for example, in the sense of circular economy and self-sufficiency. also to enable charging of their own e-mobility fleet.

The submitted solutions should already be so far advanced in terms of their marketability that they can be used immediately or only with little time until completion, as there is a short-term requirement on the part of ASFINAG and deutscher Autobahn GmbH. Potential solutions should be tested and implemented as quickly as possible.

Load management is seen by ASFINAG and Deutscher Autobahn GmbH as an integral part of the overall solution they are looking for and contributes to the efficient use of storage solutions.

There is no search for charging infrastructure or combo solutions as this is provided by the concessionaire. The focus is explicitly on energy storage solutions.

The challenge is also specifically looking for concepts for the reuse and continued use of storage technologies. The extension of the service life of the technology used increases the sustainability of the solution sought and contributes to a positive evaluation in the course of this challenge.

Equally important are the issues of dimensioning and storage / construction (e.g. containers, underground, etc.), since service areas only offer limited space for this purpose, as well as flexible installation options. In this regard, safety-relevant requirements must also be taken into account, since users and their vehicles will also be in the vicinity during regular operation.

Published on 30 May, 2023.