BP Wind Energy has installed a high-performance energy storage solution at its Titan 1 Wind Energy site in South Dakota, a first for BP’s U.S.-operated wind business and an important first installation of battery technology that could hold promise for other sites.
The 212-kilowatt / 840-kilowatt-hour battery storage system at Titan I Wind site is designed, manufactured, and installed by Tesla using the company’s Powerpack battery system to store and discharge energy when needed.
The technology will improve energy efficiency at the site, help address the intermittency of wind power – by storing surplus electricity that could be used to meet consumer demand when the wind is not blowing – and, ultimately, drive the growth of renewables.
“As renewables form a bigger part of the energy mix, storage systems like this one will become increasingly important,” said Dev Sanyal, chief executive of BP’s global alternative energy business. “This project will help us develop new business models around the integration of renewables, battery storage and other forms of energy – and it underscores our commitment to being a part of the transition to a lower-carbon future.”
The project is the first of its kind at a site wholly owned and operated by BP Wind Energy, as well as the first combined wind and battery project in the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), which oversees the bulk electric grid and wholesale power market in the central U.S. on behalf of utilities and transmission companies in 14 states.
It represents a potential step forward in the performance and reliability of wind energy.
“Battery storage solutions are a proven proposition for storing energy and balancing out the intermittent and variable outputof renewable energy sources,” said Laura Folse, chief executive of BP Wind Energy. “Insights from this project will enable BP to make better-informed decisions when evaluating and developing battery applications in the future, as well as help us to create a wind energy business that is sustainable for the long-term.”
Renewables are the fastest-growing fuel source, increasing five-fold and predicted to provide around 14% of primary energy by 2040, according to the BP Energy Outlook.
Filed Under: Energy storage, News, Projects
