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Energy Storage System: Military Operation

Electrical energy is a basic need for almost all activities in mundane life, and this is especially true for military operations. The dependency on energy is crucial for a nation’s security, keeping   military functioning in mind. Most of this energy need is satiated by primitive structures, at both transmission and distribution divisions, and at many times not protected in an arm’s conflict, prominently in remote regions of the country like glaciers and rugged border terrains with strenuous reach.

These infrastructures can be targeted physically or digitally by cyber-attacks. Thus, disrupting the energy supply to strategic regions and hence creating a huge disadvantage for one side. Many countries have been developing projects using microgrids that utilize utility-scale energy storage technology. This new system has independent, controllable and unique energy generation, including renewable generation, electric vehicles, energy storage, and control devices. Essentially for deploying renewable energy, it is important to have an energy storage system.

Renewables can be used in a centralized or decentralized format. The concept yields both efficiency and flexibility in the use of natural resources. A generic microgrid design includes a PV energy generation system, electric boilers, gas-fired, wind turbines, biogas digesters, and to store the power generated; Utility-scale energy storage.

The U.S Army has a goal-specific installation of five “net-zero” units by 2020, following an additional 25 by 2030. It means that the military compounds produce sufficient energy as needed. European countries are also applying such initiatives in the Military Green program. This program recognizes principles and responsibilities to meet environmental requirements during European military operations. Generating electricity on-site and storing it would ensure military bases could operate in all sorts of areas and situations, improving energy assurance and resiliency through the integration of electric energy storage systems. This concept has been introduced in multiple ways of integrating large-scale energy storage into military microgrids installations.

These energy storage systems can be applied to all sorts of combinations to improve the energy supply in a remote area, working along with diesel generators, photovoltaic panels, and wind generators. They also can operate in modules and with specific objectives such as demand response, peak shaving, ancillary services, and energy quality.

Places with conflicts can present a severe lack of infrastructure, and challenging geographical guerilla warfare tactics, reflecting on the cost to transport fuel and other supplies. This cost can have extreme values, reaching as far as U$ 400 per gallon in operations in Afghanistan to supply vehicles, airplanes, and diesel generators. There are also the human lives involved in it. One study shows that oil transportation protection can result in 10-15% of the soldiers’ casualties on the battlefield. Operations in Iraq ended with 18,700 soldier casualties in a span of 9 years, just from water and fuel transport.

As a way out of the fuel supply chain, EVs are receiving more attention in the military market, offering numerous benefits for combat vehicles, such as required acceleration and maneuverability with optimal torque, traction, power, and speed in all types of terrain, rough or smooth. The U.S military has made significant investments into EVs with these applications. One of the major advantages garnered by EVs is their battery storage which can be used for vehicle-to-grid (V2G) applications, supporting energy generation and enabling energy to be used in the microgrid. With V2G technology, a car battery can be charged and discharged based on different sources, such as solar and wind, allowing the energy system to balance the renewable output.

US Military Microgrid Arsenal

In 2017 Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island updated its electrical system with a new microgrid. The 10 MW microgrid, which incorporates a 6.7 MW solar array, an 8 MWh lithium-ion energy storage system, 3.5 MW backup diesel generator, and a 3.5 MW natural gas combined heat and power (CHP) plant allows the base to fully disconnect from the grid and operate in island mode during grid disturbances. This project cut the base’s utility demand by 79% and save $6.9 million annually in utility and operational costs along with eliminating 37,165 metric tons of CO2 production.

At the Otis Air National Guard Base on Cape Cod, Massachusetts in 2018 a similar project went online. It incorporates a 1.5 MW wind turbine, a 1.6 MW diesel backup generator, and an intelligent 1.6-MW/1.2-MWh lead-acid battery energy storage, and management system. It was the first military microgrid to use a battery energy storage system to form a completely islandable base-wide that can operate independently from the main utility grid.

The Los Angeles Air Force Base (LAAFB) shows the cost-effective potential of V2G, helping to reduce the base’s massive electric bill through frequency regulation. Cummins has developed the Tactical Energy Storage Unit (TESU), hence enhancing Advanced Medium Mobile Power Sources (AMMPS) generators. This battery storage system is designed for mobile outdoor applications with 60 kW and can be paralleled with up to 5 generators, absorbing the excess load up to a certain value. It can be used as a standalone power source with the ability to switch to silent mode during critical military operations.

Conclusion

On 25 February, Russian troops blew up a gas pipeline near Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. Russia claims to have control over Chernobyl nuclear power plant, only 100km away from Kyiv. On 2 March, Russia claimed to have taken control of the area surrounding the 5.7GW nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia, Europe’s largest. Ukraine faced a major cyberattack on 23 December 2015, which left roughly 230,000 households without electricity for up to six hours. The attack was attributed to a Kremlin-sponsored hacker group, and it was said to be the first publicly acknowledged successful cyberattack on a power grid.

This has created major power outages in Ukraine, where winter is running strong and falling below zero. Many supply lines for conventional electricity have been uprooted, further deepening the crisis where the remaining energy generation is coping to maintain its pre-war level energy production.

The war on Ukraine is also exposing the need to preserve and support critical energy infrastructure, from power plants and power grids to oil and gas pipelines, as the ‘toolbox’ of hybrid warfare tactics grows. Technologies like microgrids using energy storage technologies can be used in such cases, to support energy distribution.

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The Power Struggle: Parallels of an Arm Race

The raging war impetus has got people at the edge of their seats looking at the world giving into the glory of violence. Frequent tension amongst countries over disputes that doesn’t weigh into the collateral damage. Witnessing nations build narratives on who saves who, whilst they speciously try conning one another.

The India-China standoff, the Afghanistan crisis and now the Russian-Ukraine War, have had countries building their military strengths. A high capital expenditure and revenue expenditure being incurred by countries into strong-arming one another, displaying their military strength, deftly gatekeeping their enemies. Studies suggest there is a constant rise in the defence equipment expenditure since the 2000s – the United States, China, India, Russia, and the United Kingdom were the top five spenders in 2020, accounting for approximately 60 per cent of global military spending.  There is a seething increase in defence sourcing. The Indian government recently released its budget, which allocated almost 70% of the defence capital procurement budget to the domestic industry for the years 2022-2023. In addition, private players would be encouraged to develop and improve military platforms to help the Aatmanirbharta campaign and lessen the country’s reliance on imports. 

The rising demand for defence equipment has led to an influx of demand for equipment such as riot control equipment, and body armours. The urgency to protect oneself against the advancing technology and defence sourcing has stirred up the geopolitical front. Countries strategically forming alliances, to cut down the cost of procurement and production has helped them make an evident stand, which has further accelerated the pace of this arms race. India recently signed a $375 million contract with the Philippines for the BrahMos shore-based anti-ship missile system, marking the country`s first big defence system export transaction. The supersonic missile with a range of 290 kilometres was developed in collaboration with Russia and is manufactured in India. While Japan and the United States appear to have strengthened their defence relations with two significant defence treaties. The agreement will pave the way for the two countries to collaborate on advanced defence research and development, including a defence system against destructive supersonic missiles. The agreement establishes a new mechanism for the two countries to share the costs of the US military deployment in Japan.

Since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan. The Taliban has amassed a considerable amount of weapons that were abandoned on their soil by US forces. The Taliban was rumoured to be providing Pakistan with a large amount of American weaponry taken from the Afghan Army. These hush-hush deals have closely impacted the growth of defence equipment in the South Asian continent. Surrounding countries fear a rise in terrorism. The Indian home ministry suspects a high chance of these weapons being used for violence in Pakistan and neighbouring states suggesting an unjust turmoil against the deeply ingrained communal clashes in the territory. Apart from the unsought threats, India has found itself in a showcase of gallantry against China. India seems to have been building and strengthening their military while China setting up bases in Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The Chinese debt-trap strategy has played a vital role in giving way to these military advancements in the debt-ridden countries. Concerns have been raised about China’s loans to Sri Lanka, with fears that the government would be unable to repay them, and that it will use them to undermine India and the United States supremacy in the Indo-Pacific region.   

The Russians invading Ukraine makes people wonder if the world will experience another world war. If I were to give my opinion, the war was inevitable, and so is the arms race that follows. The USA has officially sanctioned $350 Million for Ukraine’s aid for weaponry. Following a wave of the US and other western sanctions against Russian banks and billionaires, intended at punishing Putin and his inner circle for the invasion of Ukraine and hurting the Russian economy, the new help comes as a welcome relief. 

Deviating from the terms of a treaty is an act of war, bringing the treaty to stand null and void. It raises questions, manoeuvring the greys of the circumstances – is humanity collateral damage? Is powering through ranks in terms of strength important to have caused a stir in peace that a treaty held secured? Humanity often gets side-lined in chaos stirred by the wrath that war brings along. 

While on the sidelines, another contest is brewing. China has long claimed Taiwan as its own, intimidates it with its armed forces, and maintains the right to attack it. The recent decision by the US President to send a delegation to Taiwan has given additional validity to fears that China may take action against Taiwan. China’s military, known as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), is undergoing enormous reforms, and the government is spending more money on defence than it has in the past, bolstering China’s influence in international issues such as the South China Sea. A domino effect has been set in motion for us to see, who’ll come on top. 

Never did we know power has such a hold over our consciousness. Not being content with what one possesses has led to this psychological concept of being on top. The power players lay out strategic plans, to aggravate conditions just to benefit and not think of how the preceding consequences will haunt what is left of humanity. Will the arms race come to an end, or we shall remain unthought for as collateral damage?

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