The First Utility-Scale Battery Energy Storage Project in Alberta
This initiative by TransAlta was funded through Round 10: Open Call in 2015 and tested some of the world’s most advanced lithium-ion batteries made by Tesla Energy. TransAlta installed 10 megawatts of Tesla lithium-ion batteries at their Summerview windfarm in southwest Alberta, making it the third installation of this product worldwide.
This was the first utility-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) project in Alberta and was completed in 2020. Its most significant accomplishment was integration of a new technology type to the Alberta Interconnected Electrical System (AESO)-operated transmission. The project is 10 megawatt / 20 megawatt in size and charges itself exclusively from wind power generated from the nearby Summerview II Wind Farm, making TransAlta’s WindCharger BESS fully renewable. Windcharger produces no greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when it dispatches power onto the grid. Over its 15-year life, the project will offset 26,500 tonnes of CO2e from fossil fuel power sources.
Implementing New Technology in Alberta
Like any other energy innovation project, TransAlta faced challenges to overcome, but by working closely with the regulators and the original equipment manufacturers, it was able to successfully bring the WindCharger project online during a global pandemic. The WindCharger project is giving credibility to storage technology in Alberta by proving that storage can be implemented in a safe and reliable manner to reduce emissions in a northern climate. The project also allowed the AESO to create and revise rules to enable storage technology’s participation in the electricity market. Storage is a non-traditional technology on the grid, playing the role of both a user and a generator of power; therefore, this project helped the AESO implement changes to accommodate these special features.
TransAlta also considered additional environmental effects for the project; for example, the site used was previously disturbed lands that have not been used for agricultural or grazing purposes for a number of years. The project also utilized steel screw piles instead of a traditional slab foundation, which allows for less impact to the soil and facilitates decommissioning at the project’s end of the life.
What’s next?
Wind energy is now de-risked in Alberta from a technology standpoint and is in the process of undergoing full market adoption. Storage technology may require further pilots, incentives, and data collection to become more commercially widespread. WindCharger reached commercial operations in 2020, and TransAlta’s Asset Optimization team has been successful in generating revenue from the asset. The AESO has opened a new Fast Frequency Response (FFR) Pilot Project in which a new form of Operating Reserve product can be offered, that could involve implementation of additional storage technologies. This product will be exclusively for new technology, including WindCharger. TransAlta plans to participate in this pilot project, working closely with the AESO. Additionally, TransAlta will continue to be part of the AESO Energy Storage Integration Learning Forum, providing direct input and feedback into the AESO’s Energy Storage Roadmap. This roadmap will release Energy Storage specific market regulations for future BESS projects.