RWE has broken ground on three battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Texas with a combined capacity of 450MW.
Onsite construction is now underway at RWE’s Crowned Heron 1 and Crowned Heron 2 and Cartwheel 1 BESS projects in Texas.
Crowned Heron 1 and Crowned Heron 2 are both 150MW (300MWh) BESS projects located in Fort Bend County, Texas.
Construction of Crowned Heron 1 is expected to be completed in summer of 2025, with Crowned Heron 2 commissioning planned for fall of 2025.
Cartwheel is a 150MW (300MWh) BESS project located in Sulphur Springs, Texas, where RWE also operates Bright Arrow, a 300MW solar and 100MW (200MWh) project announced earlier this year.
Construction of the Cartwheel project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2025.
The three assets will have a storage capacity of 900MWh, contributing toward the company’s global growth target for battery storage of 6GW by 2030.
Once operational, RWE’s Crowned Heron 1 and 2 and Cartwheel BESS will provide critical energy storage capacity to support the stability and resilience of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) grid, especially as the state continues to deal with record-breaking peak power demand during extreme heat events.
These latest developments brings its total projects under construction to 931MW across California, Texas and Arizona.
Hanson Wood, head of development, utility-scale renewables for RWE Clean Energy, said: “These battery storage projects mark a significant step in our ongoing commitment to enhancing the energy infrastructure in Texas, while growing our energy storage portfolio.
“When completed and operating, our Crowned Heron 1 and 2 and Cartwheel battery projects will serve as reliable energy storage solutions to enhance grid stability and support the state’s rapidly growing renewables sector.”