GE will set up a 30-megawatt battery energy storage production plant in California for Coachella Energy Storage Partners.
The storage system located in the Imperial Valley is part of CESP’s supply contract with the Imperial Irrigation District and isGE’s largest energy storage project to date. The facility will aid grid flexibility and increase reliability on the IID network by providing solar ramping, frequency regulation, power balancing and black start capability for an adjacent gas turbine.
GE anticipates project construction will begin early next year, with commercial operation scheduled for the third quarter of 2016.
“We chose GE as the energy storage system provider for this project because they supplied the most comprehensive solution at a competitive price,” said Mike Abatti, President of CESP. “GE is well-positioned to serve the needs of the project and will remain a stable, reliable technology provider as the energy storage industry evolves.”
GE will provide CESP with an integrated energy storage solution, configured using GE’s Mark VI plant controls, GE Brilliance MW inverters, GE Prolec transformers, medium-voltage switchgear and advanced lithium ion batteries housed in a GE purpose-built enclosure. The plant will be operated by ZGlobal, an engineering collaborator with CESP, for the first 18 months, after which control will transfer to the IID.
“This project is a game changer to the energy industry and will be one of the largest battery storage plants in the western United States,” said Ziad Alaywan, President & CEO of ZGlobal Inc. “We are confident in GE’s technology and look forward to a successful project.”
The deal marks GE’s third project using lithium ion battery technology since expanding its portfolio in recent months, joining recent announcements with Con Edison Development in California and Convergent Energy + Power in Ontario.