Enel’s Wind + Storage Hybrid Project to Support Kellogg Company
Enel, through its US renewable subsidiary Enel Green Power North America, has started construction of Azure Sky wind + storage, its first large-scale hybrid project globally to integrate wind and battery storage at one site. Through a 100 MW virtual power purchase agreement, Enel will sell to Kellogg Company a 360 GWh portion of the electricity delivered to the grid annually from the Azure Sky wind project, which is equal to 50% of the volume of electricity used across Kellogg’s North American manufacturing facilities. Located in Throckmorton County, Texas, the 350 MW wind farm paired with approximately 137 MW of battery storage will be Enel’s third hybrid project in the US that integrates a renewable energy plant with utility-scale battery storage.
Under the terms of the VPPA, Kellogg will purchase approximately 360 GWh of electricity annually from Enel, contributing to the leading plant-based food company’s collective efforts to achieve over 50% renewable energy and reach 50% of its global Better Daysgoal to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 65%. Kellogg’s renewable electricity purchase is the equivalent amount of electricity it takes power more than 43,000 homes each year in North America and is estimated to avoid over 250,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually, equivalent to the amount of carbon sequestered by 330,000 acres of US forest each year, which is larger than Rocky Mountain National Park.
The 79 wind turbines at the Azure Sky project are expected to generate over 1,300 GWh each year, which will be delivered to the grid and will charge the battery located in the same facility. The expected annual electricity generated by the Azure Sky project is equivalent to avoiding the emission of over 842,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere each year. The battery storage system will be capable of storing the power generated by the wind turbines, while also providing services to enhance grid flexibility. At around 137 MW, the system will be one of the largest battery storage facilities in the world.
The Azure Sky wind + storage project is the latest example of Enel’s commitment to invest in renewables-plus-storage hybrids in the US. Enel is currently constructing a similar plant, the 284 MW Azure Sky solar + storage project, in a neighboring county and a third hybrid project, 181 MW Lily solar + storage project, also in Texas.
Source - Strategic Research Institute