Energy storage news - August 17th, 2018

This week’s TOP 5 includes Fluence helping C&I customers in Ontario, Canada cut electricity costs with a 48 MW battery, Tesla adding 25 MW (more) of batteries in South Australia, India aiming to increase activities in the battery sector with a 3-phase plan to encourage manufacturing and electric vehicle developments, as well the Solar Corporation of India launching a Request for Bids for the State of Andhra Pradesh, and finally more information concerning the latest solar + storage electricity project price in Moloka’i Hawaii.

1. The Public Utilities Commission of Sault Ste. Marie formed a partnership with Fluence to deploy a 48 MW / 144 MWh battery in Ontario to reduce electricity bills for C&I customers.
2. Infigen Energy plans to install a 25 MW / 52 MWh Tesla Powerpack battery in South Australia next to its 278 MW Lake Bonney Wind Farm.  The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and the South Australian government will each contribute AUD 5 million towards the AUD 38 million battery energy storage system project.
3. The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) will issue a Request for Bids (RfB) for a 160 MW hybrid solar-wind project with a battery in the state of Andhra Pradesh on August 20, 2018. This request initially included a 40 MWh storage component (to be confirmed).
4. A National Energy Storage Mission (NESM) draft has been proposed in India with the objective to increase their presence in the energy storage sector by creating an enabling policy and regulatory framework which encourages manufacturing, deployment, innovation, and further cost reduction for lithium-ion batteries via a 3-phase plan.
5. The recent PV+storage project on Moloka’i enables Maui Electric to deliver electricity at 0.17 USD/kWh – thanks to its 22-year PPA in addition to its financial boost via the New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) and the Investment Tax Credit (ITC).