BP installs first battery storage technology at U.S. wind energy site
Project highlights BP’s commitment to innovation and transition to a low-carbon future
HOUSTON – BP Wind Energy has installed a high-performance energy storage solution at its Titan 1 Wind Energy site in South Dakota, a first for BP’s U.S.-operated wind business and an important first installation of battery technology that could hold promise for other sites.
The technology will improve energy efficiency at the site, help address the intermittency of wind power – by storing surplus electricity that could be used to meet site demand when the wind is not blowing – and, ultimately, drive the growth of renewables. The 212 kilowatt / 840 kilowatt-hour battery storage system is designed, manufactured and installed by Tesla, using the company’s Powerpack battery system to store and discharge energy when needed.
“As renewables form a bigger part of the energy mix, storage systems like this one will become increasingly important,” said Dev Sanyal, chief executive of BP’s global alternative energy business. “This project will help us develop new business models around the integration of renewables, battery storage and other forms of energy – and it underscores our commitment to being a part of the transition to a lower-carbon future.”
The project is the first of its kind at a site wholly owned and operated by BP Wind Energy, as well as the first combined wind and battery project in the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), which oversees the bulk electric grid and wholesale power market in the central U.S. on behalf of utilities and transmission companies in 14 states.
It represents a potential step forward in the performance and reliability of wind energy.
“Battery storage solutions are a proven proposition for storing energy and balancing out the intermittent and variable output of renewable energy sources,” said Laura Folse, chief executive of BP Wind Energy. “Insights from this project will enable BP to make better-informed decisions when evaluating and developing battery applications in the future, as well as help us to create a wind energy business that is sustainable for the long-term.”
Renewables are the fastest-growing fuel source, increasing five-fold and predicted to provide around 14 percent of primary energy by 2040, according to the BP Energy Outlook.
About BP
BP is a global producer of oil and gas with operations in 70 countries. BP has a larger economic footprint in the U.S. than in any other nation, and it has invested more than $100 billion here since 2005. BP employs about 14,000 people across the U.S. and supports more than 111,000 additional jobs through all its business activities. For more information on BP in America, visit www.bp.com/us.
Notes to editors:
- BP has one of the largest operated renewable energy businesses of any major international oil and gas company.
- In the United States, BP directly operates 13 wind energy sites - in Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Texas - while holding an interest in a separate wind facility in Hawaii.
- The company’s U.S. wind energy sites have a gross generating capacity of 2,259 megawatts - enough electricity to power all the homes in a city the size of Philadelphia.
- The 212kW/840kWhr battery, supplied by Tesla, will be integrated with the wind farm and configured to help manage internal electricity demands of turbines when wind isn’t blowing. By doing so, it will enable the wind farm to store electricity when the site is generating it, and then have that electricity available to be consumed whenever needed.
Further information
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Email: uspress@bp.com
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