Distributed Energy Resources, Energy Storage  -  February 16, 2022

Canada’s Imperial to Add Battery Storage Project

Imperial’s Sarna, Ontario’s petrochemical complex will add a behind-the-meter battery storage system and upon completion, it is expected to be the largest such system in North America. 

 Enel X will build, own, and operate the system and will enroll the battery storage system in Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator’s (IESO) demand response program.

 The battery storage system will enable Imperial to charge the battery at night when availability of renewable energy on the grid is highest and draw on the battery during periods of peak demand, typically when natural gas would be used to generate that electricity.

 “Investments in innovative battery storage systems like this one by Enel X and Imperial represent the future of smart industrial energy management,” said Hon. Todd Smith, Ontario Minister of Energy in a statement. “Once completed, this battery system, which is expected to be the largest behind-the-meter battery storage in North America, will help us facilitate a more resilient power system as we make Ontario the best place to do business.”

The Imperial project will utilize Enel X’s Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Optimization software (DER.OS) and its capabilities to maximize the value of the project across multiple applications, including on-bill savings, incentive programs, and grid services. The system,  DER.OS, combined with the energy storage system, can maximize savings on Global Adjustment (GA) charges by predicting peak demand periods on the grid and switching to energy stored in the battery rather than drawing electricity from the grid during these periods. In Ontario, GA is a capacity charge included on all electricity consumers' monthly electricity bill to cover the costs of providing adequate generating capacity and energy conservation programs throughout the province.  

 Many large commercial and industrial customers are turning to battery storage as a strategy to manage these demand peaks and mitigate GA charges. 

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