BHE Renewables, a subsidiary of the Warren Buffet-owned Berkshire Hathaway Energy, has reached another milestone in its solar and storage microgrid project in Ravenswood, West Virginia. The company announced this week that it selected Powin as its energy storage partner for what BHE says will be the world’s largest solar and storage microgrid.
The Ravenswood microgrid will provide 70% of the annual power load for Titanium Metals’ new titanium mill, currently under construction on a 2,000-acre site that was once home to an aluminum manufacturing plant.
The renewable energy microgrid will include a 106-MW solar array and Powin’s 50-MW Centipede Stack 800 battery energy storage system. The battery system utilizes lithium iron phosphate long-duration batteries that can discharge energy continuously for 10 to 12 hours.
Lithium iron phosphate batteries have a longer life span, require little maintenance and are less prone to thermal runaway than other battery chemistries, according to proponents.
Long-duration energy storage on the rise
Several notable microgrid projects announced in recent months are leveraging long-duration energy storage (LDES). These systems can store energy for future dispatch for much longer periods compared to shorter duration lithium ion chemistries – often as long as eight to 12 hours.
There are a number of battery chemistries competing for dominance in the LDES market.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is testing an LDES microgrid with containerized iron flow batteries, while the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians is collaborating with the California Energy Commission on a solar plus LDES microgrid with zinc-bromine flow batteries from Redflow. Also in California, the Viejas Band of the Kumeyaay Indians are developing a utility-scale renewable microgrid that includes LDES.
Horizon Power is conducting trials of two different long-duration energy storage (LDES) technologies at remote microgrids in Western Australia. A Redflow 100-kw/400-kWh zinc bromine flow battery to be used at Horizon’s Nullagine microgrid and BASF will provide a 250-kW/1,450-kWh sodium sulfur battery for the company’s Carnarvon microgrid.
In July, the Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations announced it would be spending up to $100 million on three to 15 projects that aim to advance the commercial viability and utility scale deployment of non-lithium, LDES systems.
Leveraging Inflation Reduction Act funding
The Centipede Stack 800 storage system meets the domestic content requirements outlined in the Inflation Reduction Act, unlocking additional tax credits for BHE Renewables, which will own and operate the microgrid.
“This initiative not only showcases the scalability and reliability of our energy storage solutions but also underscores our commitment to advancing clean energy and economic growth in the United States. By meeting domestic content requirements, we’re proud to contribute to the reshoring of critical energy infrastructure manufacturing,” said Jeff Waters, CEO of Powin.
“[Powin’s] expertise and innovative approach were essential in providing the best technical solution available to enable us to deliver the Ravenswood microgrid and meet domestic content requirements, using the benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act to drive economic revitalization in West Virginia,” said Alicia Knapp, President and CEO of BHE Renewables.
Powin is also working with BHE Renewables on two solar plus storage projects in Kern County, California. The Solar Star 3 and Solar Star 4 facilities aim to reduce emissions and improve the reliability of the California electric grid.
BHE Renewable began prep work for the Ravenswood solar array in July, with operations expected to commence in early 2025. The construction and commissioning of the solar and battery system will be completed in phases, keeping pace with the load demands of the titanium facility as it expands.
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