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Enel X the energy transition arm of Enel Group has begun construction on a 20MW/40MWh behind-the-meter (BTM) battery energy storage system (BESS) at Imperial Oil’s petrochemical complex in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada.
The massive 20/40 MW battery also expected to save the oil giant millions on energy bills.
The company will build, own and operate BESS and use its distributed energy resource (DER) optimization software (DER.OS) to maximize project value, including peak prediction services.
Imperial will be able to charge the BESS at night when the electricity grid is powered primarily by wind, nuclear and hydro sources and draw on the battery during peak demand periods when a mix of natural gas production is typically happens more.
Both Enel X’s head of North America Sun Panditi and Ontario Energy Minister Todd Smith said it would be the largest battery storage system behind the meter in North America once completed.
“Large energy users are turning to battery storage to reduce their demand on the grid, lower their energy costs, improve sustainability, and provide economic value,” commented Panditi.
“This is a step in the transition to a modern grid and exactly the kind of thing we need to be doing to reach net-zero emissions,” said Bruce Lourie, a former director of Ontario’s Independent Electricity Systems Operator.
