Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are large-scale rechargeable batteries that can store energy on a utility scale. While clean and renewable energy sources are hugely important in moving towards a net-zero future, batteries are also proving to be an impactful contribution to our energy grid. Battery storage units can store energy from a source – either a renewable or clean energy site, or the grid itself – until it is needed, like when energy reaches peak demand or in moments of emergency.
We have covered the facts in this growing utility. However, now it’s time to bring it home and take an extensive look at the many projects that are in development or are already connected to the grid.
Alberta has at least 11 battery storage systems that are already online, with many more of these projects in development.
We will discuss these sites, the continuously developing outlook of this technology within the province, and what this means for Albertans as more and more battery storage sites come online.
The Sites
- eReserve1 to eReserve9
- Fluiditi Battery Storage Project
- FortisAlberta Waterton
- Irrican eBAR Battery Storage project
- Keyara AEF eLAB Battery Project
- Laramide Battery storage facility
- Marguerite Lake Compressed Air Energy Storage
- Sturgeon Battery Energy Storage System
- WaterCharger
- Whitla Storage Project
- Windcharger
Alberta’s Battery Storage Sites
Enfinite Energy – the eReserve series
Status: Operational (all)
eReserve 1 through 9 are a number of smaller battery storage projects that exist throughout the province, that are owned and operated by Enfinite energy.
The facilities Enfinite has built in Alberta are standalone batteries with no generation capacity of their own. They simply take power from the grid, store it, and then send it back to the grid at a later time.
These sites, consisting of Tesla Megapack batteries, each provides 20MW nameplate capacity and 35 MWh of storage to areas across the province, totalling 315MWh.
eReserve sites 1-6 were designed and had their construction oversaw by Teric Power, however the company divested from these projects in 2020, with Enfinite Energy taking over the operation of the projects.
Since, the last of the currently planned eReserve projects, eReserve 7-9, have been entirely spearheaded by Enfinite, which were all energized in February 2024.
Fluiditi Battery Storage Project
Status: Development
TERIC Power is developing a standalone battery storage project adjacent to the Saddle Hill substation near La Glace, Alberta, 38 kilometers northwest of Grand Prairie.
The Fluiditi Battery Storage site has two proposed stages of development: the first phase has a nameplate capacity of 5MW and a total capacity of 20MWh, the second phase of development will have a nameplate capacity of 28MW and a total capacity of 112MWh.
The project has received funding from Emissions Reduction Alberta, to the tune of approximately $5 million.
FortisAlberta Waterton Energy Storage Project
Status: Operational
Since April 2023, the electrical needs of the town of Waterton within Waterton National Park have been supplemented with a microgrid consisting of solar photovoltaic generation and battery storage.
This facility, built by FortisAlberta Inc and operated by Parks Canada, has significantly enhanced the reliability of power in the national park.
Hundreds of thousands of tourists visit Waterton National Park over the course of a year, yet just one 70-kilometer distribution line had provided the area with all its power needs – leading to a disproportional likelihood of power outages affecting those who live and work inside. The installation of this microgrid is designed to not only reduce the frequency and duration of power outages – but improves the energy efficiency of the National Park as well.
In documentation provided by the AUC, the Waterton project has a capacity of 1.6-megawatts / 5.2 megawatt hours, making it a much smaller unit compared to others that have been constructed or proposed since.
The Waterton project had a $6 million price tag, and had funding from several other sources including Alberta Innovates, Emissions Reduction Alberta, and Natural Resource Canada’s Smart Grid program.
Irrican eBAR Battery Storage project
Status: Development
In collaboration with Irrican Power, Teric Power is developing an eBAR (enhanced Battery and Renewables) project six kilometers south of the Town of Raymond in Warner County, or 40 kilometers south of Lethbridge.
The project will be constructed adjacent to the existing Raymond Reservoir Hydro Plant, where the battery will store hydroelectricity generated onsite, as well as power from the AIES. It will have 15.4 MW of nameplate capacity, and 30.8 MWh of total capacity.
Keyara AEF eLAB Battery Project
Status: Development
Teric Power and Keyera Corp are developing a first-of-its-kind eLAB (enhanced load and batteries) solution at the Keyera Alberta EnviroFuels (AEF) facility in Edmonton.
What makes this battery storage project unique is the battery will be able to provide electricity to the AESO, as well as provide utility-scale backup services to the Keyara site.
This eLAB Battery Project proposes to deploy a 10MW Battery Energy Storage System with 20MWh of total storage.
The project received funding from Emissions Reduction Alberta, the value of which is approximately $6.5 million. Teric intends to commence stakeholder consultation activities shortly.
Laramide Battery storage facility
Status: Proposed
The Laramide Project is a battery storage facility and substation project in the proposal stage developed by Enfinite Energy.
Located 10 km northeast of High River in the Foothills No. 31 Municipality, the site will take up a 10 acres portion of a 160-acre parcel of land. The 100MW facility is set to include 105 lithium-ion battery modules, which will have capacity of 400-megawatt hours.
Like other Enfinite projects, the Laramide site has no inherent generation on the site, instead storing energy at times of low-demand. It will be connected to the AIES via the AltaLink 237S Foothills substation and a new 240 kV transmission line.
Enfinite application to the Alberta Utilities Commission was submitted in March, with planned construction slated for late 2024 and full operation in 2025.
Marguerite Lake Compressed Air Energy Storage
Status: Proposed
The Marguerite Lake Compressed Air Energy Storage site is a proposed CAES project north of La Corey, Alberta, in the Bonnyville no. 87 Municipality, adjacent to the existing Marguerite Lake substation.
Alberta’s first non-electrochemical battery system, the Marguerite Lake substation will be able to hold 320 MW capacity, for up to 48 hours (15260 MWh) for the surrounding Bonnyville and Cold Lake area – which should make this the biggest storage facility in the province upon completion.
The Cold Lake region is an exporter of electricity, due to many oil sands facilities in the region having cogeneration capacity.
The Marguerite Lake CAES, like other Compressed Air Energy Storage units, stores surplus energy by compressing air and storing it underground. The Compressed Air will be compressed into salt caverns created through solution mining into the Lotsberg salt formations, at a depth of 1100 meters below surface.
The compressed air will be able to power turbines when power is in high demand, converting the stored energy back into electricity, which can be supplied to the Alberta Interconnected Electric System.
The Marguerite Lake Compressed Air Energy Storage facility is being developed by the Federation Engineering . The estimated cost of this projects is expected to be 500 million, and construction is expected to be finished in 2027.
Sturgeon Battery Energy Storage System
Status: Development
Teric is developing a stand-alone battery energy storage project 15 kilometers southeast of Valleyview.
The Sturgeon Battery Energy Storage System consists of lithium-ion batteries, which will have a nameplate capacity of 23MW and a total storage capacity of 46 MWh.
The project is in close proximity to the Sturgeon 734S substation, and will discharge electricity into the Alberta Interconnected Electric System.
The project is set to come online in 2026.
WaterCharger
Status: Proposed
the WaterCharger battery storage project is the proposed second battery energy storage system located on a TransAlta renewable energy site, which is proposed to be situated on nine acres of land that is part of the Ghost Hydro-electric facility.
Sitting 18km West of Cochrane on the Ghost Lake basin along the Bow River, WaterCharger will be part of the larger Bow River Hydro system. Consisting of Lithium-ion batteries, WaterCharger will provide a capacity of 180 MW, which can be dispatched during times of peak demand.
Following in the footsteps of their WindCharger project, TransAlta was one of the first companies to have a BESS project functioning in Alberta. The WaterCharger project was first proposed in January 27th, 2022, and Construction is expected to begin imminently in spring of 2024. While there are uncertainties regarding when the Commercial Operation of this facility will begin, in early 2024 TransAlta submitted a request to extend the operation date to December 31, 2025.
Whitla Storage Project
Status: Development
Teric is adding a powerful battery storage site south of Whitla, or 45 minutes southwest of Medicine Hat.
This standalone unit tied into the Alberta Interconnected Electrical System (AIES). With 200MW of nameplate capacity and a 2400 MWh total capacity, this facility would likely be the second largest energy storage site in terms of capacity when it comes online.
WindCharger
Status: Operational
One of the province’s first battery storage projects to come online, The Summerview 354S Substation WindCharger Project is an example of how battery-technology can be used to enhance renewables.
Located right next to the Summerview Wind Farm, thirteen kilometers northeast of Pincher Creek, the WindCharger Battery Storage draws energy when the wind is blowing and can supply it back to the grid when it is needed, improving the efficiency of the wind farm.
Utilizing Tesla lithium-ion batteries to store electricity, the Windcharger site has a nameplate capacity of 10MW, and a total storage capacity of 20MWh – enough energy to power Pincher Creek for 1.5 hours.
The Project qualified for co-funding from Emissions Reduction Alberta. WindCharger began commercial operation on October 15th, 2020.
Conclusions
With lots of battery storage already operational in the province, and much more to come, it seems that battery storage sites are here to stay. These sites boost the efficiency of our grid, as well as provide remote areas an energy reserve that can help out in terms of emergency.
However, despite the inherent benefits of these facilities, there are concerned Albertans regarding the mass adoption of the technology in their locations.
For example, locals in the High River region have concerns about how the Laramide project may impact the health and ecosystem of the area, considering its proximity to Frank Lake, which is designated as an Important Bird Area. While in Southern Alberta, the WaterCharger site on the Bow River had some locals concerned over fire risk, leakage, and other factors throughout the development.
However, the process of developing these sites is a long, carefully considered process, with the time from initial development to commissioning of the site taking up to years. These companies have done their due diligence relating to land use, environmental impact, and even emergency response, however with any burgeoning technology, there is a case that we do not know the full picture yet.
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