TotalEnergies Launches Two Major Solar Farms with Battery Storage in Texas

TotalEnergies has begun commercial operations at two utility-scale solar farms, Danish Fields and Cottonwood, in southeast Texas. Both projects, equipped with battery storage systems, have a combined capacity of 1.2 GW and are part of the company’s 4 GW renewable energy portfolio currently operational or under construction in Texas.

Danish Fields, the company’s largest solar farm in the United States, has a capacity of 720 MWp and features 1.4 million ground-mounted photovoltaic panels. It also includes a 225 MWh battery storage system provided by Saft, a subsidiary of TotalEnergies. About 70% of Danish Fields’ solar capacity is contracted through long-term Corporate Power Purchase Agreements (CPPAs) with industry partners like Saint-Gobain, with pricing mechanisms linked to market conditions. The remaining 30% of its energy will be used to help decarbonize TotalEnergies’ industrial plants along the US Gulf Coast.

The Cottonwood solar farm, with a capacity of 455 MWp, also features 847,000 photovoltaic panels and will include a 225 MWh battery storage system, scheduled for commissioning in 2025. Cottonwood’s power is secured through long-term PPAs with LyondellBasell and Saint-Gobain, supporting their decarbonization targets.

Olivier Jouny, Senior Vice President of Renewables at TotalEnergies, highlighted the importance of these projects in the fast-growing ERCOT market, stating, “The start-ups of Danish Fields and Cottonwood showcase TotalEnergies’ capability to deliver competitive renewable electricity for our clients and our own decarbonization goals. These projects also reinforce our strategy to achieve profitability in our Integrated Power business.”

TotalEnergies is a key player in the US renewable energy market, with ambitions to reach 10 GW of capacity by 2025 and 25 GW by 2030. The company recently expanded its portfolio by acquiring 1.5 GW of flexible power capacity from three gas-fired power plants in Texas. 

By mid-2024, TotalEnergies’ gross renewable electricity generation installed capacity was 24 GW. The firm is set to expand this business as it aspires to reach 35 GW in 2025 and over 100 TWh of net electricity production by 2030.