AES Energy Storage and Siemens have joined forces to create a new energy storage company called Fluence Energy, which we mentioned recently in a story about the breakthrough prices of renewable energy + storage projects. Fluence COO John Zahurancik has since answered some questions for CleanTechnica about the new company and one of its major new energy storage projects.
What is the purpose of the Long Beach 100 MW/400 MWh energy storage project?
The project has been in development as part of a $2 billion repowering project in Long Beach, CA to replace aging natural gas peakers with a combination of more modern/efficient combined-cycle gas capacity and the world’s largest battery energy storage facility. The 100 MW system will provide critical capacity to meet local reliability needs in the area, while helping California meet its environmental goals.
How long will it take to construct the huge energy storage installation?
Construction for the Alamitos energy storage project will start later this year and is targeted for completion by the end of 2020.
Can you reveal the cost?
The pricing for this system is confidential under the terms of our contract.
What is the expected life cycle or longevity of the batteries?
The Alamitos project is contracted under a 20-year power purchase agreement, and the Fluence array is designed to ensure the system meets the PPA requirements over the full life of the contract.
Do you anticipate that you will be installing other energy storage facilities with the same or similar capacity?
We’re in a scaling-up period for energy storage that’s gaining speed every year. The rise of battery energy storage is similar in scale to that experienced by the solar industry between 2000 and 2015. Utilities and other customers around the globe see that the technology is mature, and the Fluence team has delivered projects for all 8 core energy storage applications on the electric grid over a decade of experience designing, deploying, and operating complete energy storage solutions. However, as we’ve done so, we’ve seen just how many places on the grid storage can provide value where the technology has yet to be adopted.
With the widespread deployment of storage changing the fundamentals of the electric power sector, we anticipate installing other facilities in the future with not just the same, but with both more and less capacity. In many power systems, having multiple 50-megawatt systems at different parts of the grid may more provide flexibility and reliability benefits than having a single 200-megawatt system.
For us, it’s about deploying the right solution at the right scale to solve customers’ energy problems, and prioritizing lasting partnerships to provide the most value over simply delivering products.
Recent Comments