Li-ion battery manufacturer A123 Systems will supply six Grid Battery Systems (GBSs) to Northern Powergrid, an electricity distribution network operator that delivers power to more than 3.8 million customers in the UK. The GBSs will be designed for peak-load shifting and to manage fluctuations in voltage on the power grid.

Expected to be operational by the end of 2012, the systems will be deployed as part of the Customer-Led Network Revolution (CLNR), the UK’s largest smart grid project funded through the Office of the Gas and Electricity Markets’ (OfGEM) Low Carbon Networks Fund.

The six GBSs that A123 will supply to Northern Powergrid include a 2.5MW system, two 100kW systems and three 50kW systems. Each will be designed to maintain these power capabilities for up to two hours, adding flexibility to the distribution network and helping to provide consistent delivery of reliable power to customers.