Ørsted, Mission Clean Energy To Develop Four BESS Projects In US Midwest

Ørsted, a leading Denmark based clean energy company, has announced a strategic partnership with Mission Clean Energy (“Mission”), a utility-scale renewable energy and storage developer, to advance four standalone battery energy storage systems (BESS) across the Midwest. The partnership with Mission complements Ørsted’s existing development efforts while broadening and diversifying the portfolio of technologies it can offer to utilities and other customers.

James Giamarino, Chief Commercial Officer at Ørsted said “Continuing to invest in and build out storage solutions is critical for ensuring a resilient and reliable grid, and this partnership with Mission advances this important goal.”

Ørsted will utilize its capital to secure and maintain interconnection queue positions for the four storage projects owned by Mission, while Mission will continue to lead development of the projects. Mission and Ørsted submitted interconnection applications for the projects, totaling 1GW, in the Mid-Continent Independent System Operator (MISO) Central and North. Ørsted will have the option to acquire an ownership stake in the projects as they mature.

“The partnership with Ørsted marks a significant milestone for Mission Clean Energy,” said Max Bakker, CEO of Mission Clean Energy. “Ørsted is an ideal partner to complement our development capabilities with their balance sheet strength and sponsorship support. Our combined expertise and resources will accelerate these projects and deliver impactful clean energy solutions in the MISO region.”

The American region is experiencing a transformative shift in its supply mix, driven by a significant increase in non-emitting generation resources. The four projects are strategically sited to meet capacity requirements and manage increasing grid volatility, with a strong emphasis on the locational benefits that they will provide.

This initiative is Ørsted’s first standalone battery storage partnership both in the U.S. and globally, building on Ørsted’s existing portfolio of co-located solar and storage projects. This includes the 40MW storage project at Permian Solar Center in West Texas and the 300 MW/1200 MWh storage project at Eleven Mile Solar Center in Arizona. The storage project at Eleven Mile Solar Center is one of the largest built in a single phase in the United States. With a portfolio of nearly 6 GW of renewable energy projects in operation or under construction in the U.S., Ørsted looks to expand its presence in the Midwest while supporting Mission Clean Energy.

In the United States, Ørsted has approximately 700 employees and a portfolio of clean energy assets and partnerships that includes offshore wind energy, land-based wind energy, solar, battery storage and e-fuels. Ørsted is a U.S. leader in offshore wind energy with approximately 3 gigawatts in development and operates America’s first offshore wind farm, located off the coast of Block Island. Ørsted has a total U.S. land-based capacity of over 5 gigawatts across wind, solar, storage technologies and e-fuels.