Ameresco and partner Atura Power have been chosen to build a 250MW, 1000 megawatt hour (MWh) battery by the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) in Canada.
Ameresco and Atura Power, a subsidiary of Ontario Power Generation, will complete the project through a joint venture (JV) known as Napanee BESS.
Pursuant to the award, the JV will enter into a 20-year capacity agreement with the IESO.
In addition to being a 10.1% minority partner in Napanee BESS, Ameresco will provide engineering and construction (E&C) solutions and expertise for the installation of the BESS under separate contract with the JV.
This award builds on Ameresco’s proven expertise and execution on large utility-scale BESS systems. The JV looks forward to pursuing additional BESS opportunities throughout Ontario.
The collective projects makeup the largest award of BESS in Canada’s history, and the energy generated from these new facilities will meet province-wide electrical capacity needs.
The IESO expects that Ontario will have at least 1217MW of energy storage capacity, up from 228MW today, participating in the IESO’s electricity market by 2026 as a result of this project and other similar storage installations.
“We are proud that Ameresco was one of the forward-thinking companies that provided the IESO with pilot projects that gave them confidence that BESS systems are ready for prime time at this size,” said Ameresco executive vice president Lou Maltezos.
Atura Power chief executive Shelley Babin added: “Energy storage is a key component in building a clean economy. Atura Power is proud to own and operate the infrastructure necessary to support a consistent and reliable supply of clean energy for Ontario.”