TransAlta Renewables Inc., a publicly traded renewable independent power producer, says its 10 MW WindCharger battery storage project has reached commercial operation.
WindCharger is Alberta’s first utility-scale, lithium-ion energy storage project and utilizes Tesla Megapack technology. It has a nameplate capacity of 10 MW and a total storage capacity of 20 MWh. This technology can be fully charged in approximately two hours and will be powered by the company’s Summerview II wind farm, making it a truly renewable battery energy storage system. WindCharger did not require any new infrastructure investments, as it is an entirely behind-the-fence project.
“We want to thank Tesla for working with us on this exciting project,” says John Kousinioris, president of TransAlta Renewables Inc. “The completion of the WindCharger project is an important milestone as we progress towards our goal of providing clean, reliable and low-cost energy solutions to our customers. This technology shows strong commercial potential and this particular installation has enough capacity to power all the homes in nearby Pincher Creek for approximately 90 minutes on only one charge.”
The project, which was acquired from TransAlta Corp. in August, has a total capital cost of approximately $14.5 million, with approximately 50% being funded through the support of Emissions Reduction Alberta. As part of the acquisition, TransAlta will pay a fixed monthly capacity charge for the right to operate and dispatch the battery in the Alberta market.
