The technology group Wärtsilä reached substantial completion on a 125-megawatt (MW) / 250-megawatt hour (MWh) energy storage system in Calexico, California, USA, for REV Renewables, to help stabilise and decarbonise the electric grid. The facility, called the LeConte energy storage project, is Wärtsilä’s second largest Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) project to date.
Wärtsilä completed construction just in time to provide grid stability during California’s record-setting September 2022 heat wave. The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) confirmed in their Summer Performance Report for September 2022 that 2,000 MW of energy storage were dispatched to support the grid on September 5th during the most grid challenged period of the heat wave, helping California avoid widespread power outages.
The LeConte system was approved by the California Public Utilities Commission in early 2022 as part of a plan to build 15,000 MW of new energy storage and demand response resources by 2032 to ensure long-term reliability and meet the state’s Renewables Portfolio Standard. The energy storage system for REV Renewables helps fulfil the resource adequacy obligations of California utilities and supports various ancillary efforts for CAISO.
Located near the California/Mexico border, the LeConte facility is situated at a major junction point for energy producers in the CAISO and San Diego Gas & Electric territories that are importing and exporting energy between the U.S. and Mexico. Moreover, the facility will be used to follow the automatic generation control signal to maintain system frequency and perform peak day operations to relieve congestion on transmission lines from the abundance of solar photovoltaic resources in the area.
“Battery energy storage is a key component to maintaining reliability and stability of California’s electricity grid,” said Cody Hill, REV Renewables Senior Vice President, Battery Systems. “Wärtsilä worked with us to manage supply chain challenges, to collaborate with local communities and to perform site safety and training to bring this complex energy storage project online.”
REV Renewables is a leader in the development, ownership and operations of energy storage and renewable generation assets and owns the largest deregulated portfolio of energy storage assets in the U.S. This is Wärtsilä's first agreement with REV Renewables, resulting from more than a decade of combined business development efforts across Wärtsilä North America and Wärtsilä Energy Storage & Optimisation.
“We’re pleased to be partnering with REV Renewables on our second largest EPC project, which will be instrumental for the state’s decarbonisation goals. Adding flexible generation such as energy storage to Southern California is significant as the area is important for stabilising the supply of electricity on transmission lines between Mexico and California,” said Andrew Tang, Vice President of Energy Storage & Optimisation, Wärtsilä. “This facility will support the continued integration of renewable energy assets on California’s electric grid.”
The project includes Wärtsilä’s GridSolv Quantum, a fully integrated, modular and compact energy storage system, as well as the GEMS Digital Energy Platform, Wärtsilä’s sophisticated energy managementsystem. Wärtsilä’s GEMS Digital Energy Platform provides a critical safety featureby continuously monitoring to pinpoint and isolate any system malfunctions automatically. It will be maintained and optimised with Wärtsilä’s Service+ solution, a suite of comprehensive lifecycle solutions applicable for energy storage systems including scheduled maintenance services and extended warranties.
Learn more:
Wärtsilä’s Energy Storage and Optimisation Technology
Path to 100% Renewables for California
Media contact for more information on this release:
Jost Ehrnrooth
Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Wärtsilä Energy
Mob: +358400 988622
jost.ehrnrooth@wartsila.com
Image Caption: Wärtsilä’s energy storage technology enables REV Renewables to support grid stability, ensure resource adequacy and capitalise on ancillary services in California ISO © Wärtsilä Corporation
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Wärtsilä Energy in brief
Wärtsilä Energy leads the transition towards a 100% renewable energy future. We help our partners to accelerate their decarbonisation journeys through our market-leading technologies and power system modelling expertise. These cover decarbonisation services, future-fuel enabled balancing power plants, hybrid solutions, energy storage and optimisation technology, including the GEMS Digital Energy Management Platform. Wärtsilä Energy’s lifecycle services are designed to increase efficiency, promote reliability and guarantee operational performance. Our track record comprises 76 GW of power plant capacity and 110 energy storage systems delivered to 180 countries around the world.
https://www.wartsila.com/energy
Wärtsilä in brief
Wärtsilä is a global leader in innovative technologies and lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. We emphasise innovation in sustainable technology and services to help our customers continuously improve their environmental and economic performance. Our dedicated and passionate team of 17,500 professionals in more than 240 locations in 79 countries shape the decarbonisation transformation of our industries across the globe. In 2022, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 5.8 billion. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.
www.wartsila.com
