World’s Largest Single Phase Energy Storage Project is Now Operational

Solar power conglomerate Canadian Solar subsidiaries Recurrent Energy and CSI Energy Storage, along with Axium Infrastructure, have announced that the Crimson Storage, a 350 MW / 1400 MWh standalone energy storage project, is now in operation and providing flexible capacity to the California grid. Axium Infrastructure acquires, develops, finances, operates, and manages infrastructure assets.

According to the statement released by Canadian Solar, a fund managed by Axium Infrastructure owns 80 per cent of the storage project. Project developer Recurrent Energy has 20 per cent ownership. CSI Energy Storage was the turnkey system integrator of the project, delivering the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services and will provide long-term operational services for the project.

Canadian Solar held that Crimson Storage is the largest battery storage project in the world to reach operation in a single phase and it is the second largest energy storage project currently operating.

The project is sited on public lands in Riverside County, California and it holds two long-term energy storage contracts with California’s largest utilities, Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). Both contracts are part of reliability procurements directed by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).

The 200 MW / 800 MWh of 14 year and 10-month contract is with Southern California Edison under a full tolling agreement. Also the 150 MW / 600 MWh 15-year contract is with Pacific Gas and Electric Company for Resource Adequacy only; Recurrent Energy and Axium will operate the battery system in the California wholesale power market

Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and CEO, Canadian Solar, stated, “Recurrent Energy began developing Crimson Storage and our larger energy storage pipeline in 2015 when no large-scale storage projects yet existed. Last year, we started bringing these projects to fruition also thanks to our CSI Energy Storage team.” He also thanked the California Public Utilities Commission, the US Department of the Interior and partners at Axium Infrastructure for their critical contributions to this project.”

Recurrent Energy has commercialized 2.9 GWh of energy storage projects that are in construction or operation, including Slate Solar + Storage, and has an additional pipeline of 15 GWh of energy storage projects under early to mid-stage development.