NAPANEE — The Ontario government and stakeholders recently announced the completion and start of commercial operations for the $600 million Napanee Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), on-budget and approximately five weeks ahead of schedule.
The 250-megawatt (MW) facility is capable of powering 250,000 homes for up to four hours during peak demand periods, explains a release, and is one of the largest operating battery storage projects in Canada.
The Napanee BESS is a joint venture between Atura Power (a subsidiary of Ontario Power Generation) and Ameresco Canada. It includes 284 battery storage units, transformer stations, transmission connection facilities and ancillary components that will store electricity from Ontario’s nuclear facilities during periods of low demand and return that stored power to the system when demand is higher.
Seventy-two medium voltage transformers were used in the project and were built at Stein Industries in London, Ont. They were purchased via Nbisiing Power, an Indigenous-owned business operating in Nipissing First Nation.
According to the province, development and construction of the Napanee BESS supported 120 jobs, including skilled trades, engineering, transportation and equipment manufacturing roles.
