GE has received a contract to supply a 30MW battery energy storage system to Coachella Energy Storage Partners (CESP) for Imperial Irrigation District’s (IID) plant in Southern California, US.
Under the contract, GE will supply integrated energy storage solution, which will be housed in a purpose-built enclosure in Imperial Valley, approximately 100 miles east of San Diego.
Designed to support grid flexibility and increase network reliability for IID, the facility will also feature Mark VI plant controls, Brilliance MW inverters, Prolec transformers, medium-voltage switchgear and advanced lithium ion batteries.
Planned to be commissioned in third quarter of 2016, the plant will also provide solar ramping, frequency regulation, power balancing and black start capability for an adjacent gas turbine, to aid grid flexibility and increase reliability on the IID network.
GE said that the contract represents its largest battery energy storage deal signed to date. Terms of the deal were undisclosed. ZGlobal CEO and president Ziad Alaywan said: "This project is a game changer to the energy industry and will be one of the largest battery storage plants in the western United States."
ZGlobal, engineering collaborator with CESP, will operate the facility for the first 18 months following which these rights will be transferred to the IID.
GE renewable energy business president and CEO Anne McEntee said: "We focus on full system performance rather than individual component pieces, allowing customers to match power production with demand in real time and utilize grid assets more efficiently."
Construction work on the system is scheduled to commence in 2016.