Press Releases

Berlin/Austin/Yverdon-les-Bains, 10 April 2015: Swiss battery manufacturer Leclanché is to play a key role in the game-changing renewable energy project currently being developed in Graciosa by Younicos, a German-American specialist in renewable energy integration. Leclanché will provide the complete Battery Energy Storage Solution (BESS), using its industry-leading lithium-ion batteries, which will be combined with Younicos Energy Management software. Additionally, an affiliate of Recharge, one of Leclanché’s largest shareholders, will provide €3.5M in convertible debt financing to the project’s operating company Graciolica, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Younicos. Both announcements are milestones that will help accelerate implementation of the project in the coming weeks and will ensure substantial progress during the course of 2015. 

The world’s first megawatt-scale renewable energy plus storage system, currently being built on the island of Graciosa in the Azores (Portugal), will set new standards for islands worldwide. Furthermore, by stabilizing the grid without the rotating mass of a conventional thermal engine, the system will enable the grid to be fully powered by wind and solar energy. The centerpiece of the system is a fully automated, intelligently managed 2.8 megawatt battery park integrated into the intelligent energy management system developed by Younicos. In addition, the system will incorporate wind (4.5 MW) and solar (1 MW) power resources, and intelligent inverters. The renewable energy-powered grid will boost the island’s annual share of renewable energies, from a previous limit of 15 percent to up to 65 percent and thus allow the island to reduce its dependence on fuel imports.

James P. McDougall, CEO of Younicos, on teaming with Leclanché: “This is an exciting partnership on many levels. We have long been intrigued by Leclanché’s BESS and are confident that – coupled with our software – it will provide an extremely stable backbone of a fundamentally new energy system. At the same time, working with an industry-leading battery manufacturer such as Leclanché, and with Recharge as financing partner, underscores the ability of Younicos to lead micro-grid projects worldwide.”  

Anil Srivastava, CEO of Leclanché, commenting on the deal: “We are very excited to team up with Younicos for this truly innovative island solution. We are confident that our wide range of BESS, seamlessly integrated with Younicos’ global leading Energy Management Software, will make this project a reference in the industry. This is a strong validation of Leclanché’s growth strategy and of its position as a leader in this high potential, fast-growing competitive market. We commend Recharge for its vision to invest in this ground-breaking project and are honored to work together to successfully carry out the renewable energy transformation on Graciosa.”

About Younicos

Younicos is a global leader for intelligent storage and grid solutions. Our clients benefit from our technical expertise, commercial know-how and in-depth experience based on nearly 100 megawatts installed in more than 20 energy storage projects worldwide. The company was founded in 2005 in Berlin, Germany. Currently it employs more than 120 storage enthusiasts there and in Kyle and Austin, Texas (USA).

About Leclanché

Established in 1909 Leclanché has been a reliable partner for battery storage technologies. Founded in the tradition of Georges Leclanché, the inventor of the dry cell battery, Leclanché today has a rich portfolio of Energy Storage Systems that include Specialized Customer-specific Battery Systems to industry leading lithium-ion solutions.

Through the integration of a spin-off of the German Fraunhofer Institute in 2006 the company evolved from a traditional battery producer into one of the first developers and manufacturers of lithium-ion cells in Europe. 

Leclanché’s Storage Solutions are optimized for various applications, in particular for the integration of renewable energy, diesel fuel reduction, electricity grid-connected ancillary services, peak power shaving for heavy industries but also for heavy duty transportation in buses, trams, trains or maritime vessels.

Leclanché products are characterized by a very high cycle stability (cells with titanate anode) and long service life. Thanks to our patented separator technology, which is a core element of lithium ion cells with titanate anode, Leclanché is able to make cells with very good safety characteristics in automated production. Leclanché operates a fully automated plant for the production of large format lithium-ion cells at an annual maximum capacity of up to 175MWh or up to one million cells. 

In addition, Leclanché offers a number of specialized battery systems through its Portable Business Unit, such as customer-specific energy storage systems for military and medical applications. Leclanché also distributes primary and secondary batteries and accessories of other producers.

Leclanché, which is quoted on the Swiss stock exchange (SIX:LECN), has a wide range of storage products for homes, small offices, large industries, electricity grids, hybridization for mass transport systems like fleet of buses, trams etc.