Lighthief has a confirmed installation pipeline of 496 MWh of battery storage across 28 solar parks in Cyprus — currently in production and scheduling for commissioning. The hardware specified for these projects is the Linyang Power Atlantic battery container paired with the Kehua BCS medium-voltage skid. This article explains how the system works, why it was chosen, and what solar park owners considering co-located storage need to know.
Why Solar Parks in Cyprus Need Battery Storage
Cyprus’s solar resource is exceptional — but that creates a specific engineering challenge. Solar parks generate the majority of their energy during the same midday window when grid demand is at its lowest and wholesale prices are weakest. Without storage, curtailment means leaving revenue on the table.
A co-located battery system changes the economics entirely:
- Curtailment recovery — charge the battery with excess daytime generation, discharge at evening peak prices
- Grid services revenue — provide Frequency Containment Reserve (FCR) and balancing energy to EAC via IEC 104 dispatch, with response times under 200 ms
- DSO compliance — EAC grid connection approvals increasingly favour co-located PV+BESS applications
- Asset value — a solar park with storage is a more bankable asset for refinancing or sale
Lighthief acts as the turnkey EPC contractor for these projects, managing procurement, civil works, crane logistics, DSO interface and commissioning from start to finish.
The Linyang Power Atlantic Battery Container
Each Linyang Power Atlantic unit delivers 5.015 MWh of usable energy in a standard 20-foot high-cube (HC) container format. The cells are EVE 314Ah lithium iron phosphate (LFP) — a chemistry chosen for its thermal stability, long cycle life and safety profile in outdoor utility applications.
Key Specifications
- Usable capacity: 5,015 kWh per container
- Cell chemistry: LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) — EVE 314Ah
- DC voltage range: 1,164–1,498 Vdc (nominal 1,331 Vdc)
- Cycle life: 6,000+ cycles at 80% depth of discharge
- BMS: 3-level architecture — BMU (cell level) → BCMU (rack level) → BAMS (system level), 96 BMUs per container
- Cooling: Liquid-cooled thermal management system
- Protection rating: IP55, C5 coastal corrosion class
- Fire suppression: Integrated automated suppression system
- Warranty: 10 years
Certifications
The Power Atlantic holds a full suite of international safety and performance certifications required for EAC grid connection and European market access: IEC 62619 (battery safety), UL 9540A (fire propagation testing at cell, pack and container level), IEC 63056, UN 38.3, IEC 62933-5-2 and full CE marking.
The Kehua BCS MV Skid: PCS and Transformer in a Single Container
The battery container stores energy at DC. To connect to the medium-voltage grid, you need a Power Conversion System (PCS) to convert DC to AC, and a transformer to step up to the site’s MV connection point. The Kehua BCS “MV skid” combines both — PCS and oil-immersed transformer — into a single factory-assembled container unit. This dramatically reduces on-site installation time and eliminates the need for a separate transformer compound.
The PCS achieves ≥99% conversion efficiency with a DC input range of 1,000–1,500 Vdc and 690 Vac three-phase output. The system is TÜV certified to EN 50549-2 — the grid code standard required for EAC connection approval in Cyprus.
Available Skid Configurations
| Skid Model | Container | AC Power | MV Transformer | Typical Application |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | 20ft Std | 1.0–1.25 MW | 1,000–1,250 kVA | Small park, single co-location |
| T2 | 20ft Std | 2.0–2.5 MW | 2,000–2,500 kVA | Mid-size solar farm |
| T4 | 40ft HC | 4.0–5.0 MW | 4,000–5,000 kVA | Large solar park (typical Cyprus scale) |
| T8 | 40ft HC | 8–10 MW | 8,000–10,000 kVA | Utility-scale BESS station |
Communication interfaces across all models include Modbus RTU/TCP, IEC 61850 and IEC 104 — the protocols required for integration with DisperonEMS and for direct DSO dispatch signalling.
Matching Capacity to Your Solar Park
Battery systems are sized in two dimensions: power (MW) and energy (MWh). The ratio between them determines the storage duration and the revenue strategy:
- 1:1 ratio (4-hour duration) — standard for grid services; one 5 MWh battery container per 1.25 MW PCS slot. Suits FCR provision and overnight price arbitrage.
- 2:1 ratio (2-hour duration) — power-dense configuration for peak shaving and intraday arbitrage where fast response matters more than duration.
Three common project scales in Cyprus:
- 5 MW / 20 MWh — T4 skid + 4 battery containers. Typical for a 5–8 MWp solar park adding co-located storage for FCR and curtailment recovery.
- 2.5 MW / 10 MWh — T2 skid + 2 battery containers. Cost-effective entry point for smaller parks in the 2–4 MWp range.
- 10 MW / 40 MWh — T8 skid + 8 battery containers. Utility-scale station connecting at 22 kV, suitable for standalone grid services or large solar farm co-location.
System Efficiency and Performance
At the system level, the Linyang + Kehua combination achieves a verified AC-to-AC round-trip efficiency of 86.32% — meaning for every 100 kWh charged into the battery, 86.32 kWh is returned to the grid. This figure accounts for PCS conversion losses in both directions, BMS parasitic load, and thermal management energy consumption.
The PCS units are rated for operation from −35°C to +60°C ambient — critical for Cyprus where summer temperatures regularly exceed 40°C at ground level. The battery containers’ liquid cooling system maintains cell temperatures within the optimal LFP operating band regardless of ambient conditions.
The Kehua BCS PCS also meets Fault Ride Through (FRT) requirements — the ability to stay connected and support the grid through voltage dips. This is required by EAC for grid-connected generation assets above 11 kW and is a condition of EAC’s connection agreement for BESS co-location projects.
EPC and Installation: What to Expect
Lighthief manages the full project lifecycle as the EPC contractor. Once the equipment order is placed, the process follows a structured timeline:
- Factory production: approximately 90 days from order confirmation
- Sea freight: Shanghai → Limassol port, approximately 45–52 days
- Civil and electrical works: foundation preparation, cable routing, MV connection — managed by Lighthief subcontractors
- Installation and commissioning: Lighthief’s EPC team manages container placement and electrical works on-site, working closely with Linyang’s technical specialists for system commissioning and final handover
- DSO interface: Lighthief prepares and submits EAC connection documentation, IEC 104 SCADA point lists and protection relay settings
- Commissioning: 4-person specialist commissioning team from Linyang
- Go-live: DisperonEMS cloud SCADA activated for real-time monitoring and automated market dispatch
Add Battery Storage to Your Solar Park
Lighthief has a confirmed installation pipeline of 28 projects totalling 134 MW / 496 MWh across Cyprus, all using the Linyang Power Atlantic and Kehua BCS system. If you operate a solar park in Cyprus and want to explore co-located battery storage — whether for curtailment recovery, grid services, or improving your asset’s refinancing profile — we can provide a preliminary technical and financial assessment.
Contact Alexander Papacosta directly for BESS projects: +357 99 164 158 or alexander.papacosta@lighthief.com
Request a BESS Project Assessment
Tell us about your solar park — location, current capacity, and what you want to achieve with battery storage. We will respond with a preliminary technical and financial assessment within 5 working days.