Wartsila Will Supply Energy Storage To One Of The World’s Largest Solar Plus Storage Project

Wartsila, a Finland-based technology company, has signed a contract with Clearway Energy Group. Under this contract, Wartsila will provide energy storage devices totaling a 500-megawatt (MWac) / 2-gigawatt hour (GWh) portfolio. The contract encompasses five sites in California and Hawaii and represent one of the largest solar-plus-storage project portfolios in the world. According to Wartsila, solar photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage resources work together to balance an increasing amount of renewable power on the grid.

Intending to achieve a greater than 50% reduction in net greenhouse gas pollution by 2030, the United States (US) has audacious plans to lead the world in the adoption of renewable energy. These activities, in the opinion of Wartsila and Clearway, demonstrate a critical role that solar and storage will play in attaining the said objectives and hastening the transition by delivering cheap sustainable energy at scale.

The Daggett 2 and Daggett 3 projects, which together contain 482 MWac of solar PV and 275 MWac / 1.1 GWh of energy storage, are two of the largest co-located photovoltaic plus storage plants in California, according to the company. The Daggett projects are located near San Bernardino, close to the former coal and natural gas facility.

Daggett 3’s order was scheduled for Wartsila’s order intake in Q3 2021, while Daggett 2’s order was scheduled for Q4 2021. Construction has begun on both the projects and completion is targeted for 2023.

On the Hawaiian Island of Oahu, two projects are in the offing by Clearway Energy Group. These include Mililani I Solar and Waiawa Solar Power plants that will together make up 75 MWac/300 MWh of solution. Hawaii is looking to generate 100 percent renewable energy by 2045, and the addition of energy storage will facilitate Clearway Energy Group to maintain dependable delivery of sustainable energy.

The orders for Waiawa Solar Power and Mililani I Solar was placed with Wärtsilä in Q1 2021, and construction is anticipated for completion in 2022. The initiatives mark the first substantial energy storage systems for Wartsila in Hawaii.

The portfolio will boast of a 147 MWac/588 MWh energy storage system added to Kern County, California’s operational 192 MWac Rosamond Central solar PV facility. The energy storage system will increase the effectiveness of the solar installation by giving California Independent Technology Operator ancillary services, particularly solar shifting. The order was scheduled for Wartsila order intake in July 2022, and construction will witness completion in December next year.