Dive Brief:
- General Electric (GE) will construct a 30-MW battery storage system for Coachella Energy Storage Partners, as part of the group's contract with the Imperial Irrigation District (IID), a public electric and water utility in south central California.
- The project will provide solar ramping, frequency regulation and power balancing capabilities for an adjacent gas turbine.
- ZGlobal, an engineering collaborator with CESP, will operate the plant for the first 18 months, after which control will transfer to IID.
Dive Insight:
GE is continuing to announce projects using lithium ion battery technology, with the CESP-IID deal marking its third in recent months for a total of 39 MW. GE previously announced projects with Con Edison Development in California and Convergent Energy + Power in Ontario.
The company said it expects 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,” Mike Abatti, president of CESP, said in a statement. “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.”
Abatti formed CESP to “to strengthen local interest in developing new and innovative ways to maintain cost effective solution to the local utility,” according to the announcement. ZGlobal, which will initially operate the storage plant, was retained by CESP for engineering and project management.
“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. “We are confident in GE’s technology and look forward to a successful project.
