X-ELIO has launched its first large-scale battery energy storage (BESS) project in the United States. This project has a total capacity of 60 MW.
A joint project
The BESS project will be built next to the 72 MW Liberty1 solar photovoltaic (PV) plant that the company is building near Houston. Liberty1 Solar is expected to be operational in early 2024 and will produce 137 GWh of clean energy per year, avoiding 52.4 tons of CO2 emissions, while contributing more than $130 million in capital investment to the state and creating up to 125 construction jobs. The energy produced by this plant will be sold to BASF via a power purchase agreement (PPA) concluded with the company last September.
Renewable energy storage
The project will provide a reliable and cost-effective way to store renewable energy. The excess energy generated by Liberty1 during periods of low demand will be stored in these batteries so that it can be injected into the grid at peak times. As an ancillary service, the system will also help stabilize the voltage and frequency of the grid.
In addition, the battery system is uniquely designed so that it can be expanded in the future, increasing the capacity from a 1.2-hour system to a 2-hour system (60 MW-120 MWh), thus ensuring the highest value proposition in ever-changing market conditions.
A strategic investment in energy storage
X-ELIO began investing in energy storage a year ago. The development of this project, the largest BESS project to date for X-ELIO, is the first in a gigawatt-scale pipeline that X-ELIO continues to build around the world. The project will move forward through the collaboration of two long-time players in the energy storage industry, SAFT and Power Electronics.
