In addition to the successful testing of the Rudong EVx, Energy Vault announced the extension of its EVx licensing agreement with Atlas Renewable from 7.5 to 15 years. In the last 12 months, CNTY has announced eight additional EVx GESS deployments across multiple provinces in China totaling more than 3.7 GWh, which will generate future project revenue royalty streams to Energy Vault as systems are built and commissioned.

Energy Vault CEO Robert Piconi joined Episode 45 of the Factor This! podcast to discuss the long-duration energy storage dilemma, and how his company is using gravity and green hydrogen to help crack the code. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

In January 2024, the Rudong EVx was selected as part of a list of projects with the classification of “new energy storage pilot demonstration projects” by China’s National Energy Administration (NEA). Projects selected as demonstration pilots receive increased management oversight by provincial-level energy authorities, allowing coordination for construction, data reporting, compliance, and safety measures, among other areas.

Commissioning of the 25 MW/100 MWh EVx GESS began in the second half of 2023, followed by the completion in September 2023 of the final four-kilometer 35kV Overhead Power Line to the existing Remote End Substation, the capping and completion of construction of the facility in October, and full grid interconnection in December. Upon final provincial and state approvals for the start of commercial operation to the state grid, the Rudong EVx will be the world’s first commercial, utility-scale non-pumped hydro gravity energy storage system.

Originally published in Renewable Energy World.

The 68.8 MW/275.2 MWh battery system is located near the 98 MW SERC Hybrid Gas Turbine project in Stanton, California.

SBES was constructed in under five months and met performance expectations during testing in July 2023, the companies said.

Wellhead operates the facility. Wellhead and W Power developed the project, with Energy Vault as the EPC contractor and system integrator. Energy Vault’s X-Vault integration platform and Vault-OS Energy Management System is used to control, manage and optimize system operations.

The Stanton Energy Reliability Center (SERC) is a 98 MW natural gas-fired, simple-cycle facility with two GE LM6000 hybrid enhanced combustion turbines that provide operational flexibility as a synchronous condenser, and an integrated 10 MW GE battery storage system.

Each combustion turbine is powered by a system equipped with selective catalytic reduction, air emissions control equipment and associated support equipment for nitrogen oxides (NOx), along with an oxidation catalyst for carbon monoxide and volatile organic compound control.

The two sets of lithium-ion batteries are housed in purpose-built battery enclosures, each with a capacity of 10 MW (total 20 MW) and 4.3 MWh storage (total 8.6 MWh). The battery system could be charged either by the grid or the on-site combustion turbines. The batteries enable the gas turbines to supply spinning reserve by providing approximately 10 minutes of ramping profile for the turbines.

SERC began commercial operation on October 6, 2020.

Storage developer Energy Vault and utility Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) have proposed a partnership to deploy and operate a grid-scale battery plus green hydrogen long-duration energy storage system (BH-ESS).

The BH-ESS would power the downtown and surrounding area of Calistoga, a city in Northern California, for a minimum of 48 hours during planned outages and shutoffs due to high wildfire risk. The system would provide a minimum of 293 MWh of dispatchable energy. Capacity could eventually be expanded to 700 MWh, which would allow it to operate for longer without refueling.

The project is still pending regulatory approval. PG&E submitted the project contract for review to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) on Dec. 30, with a request for a final approval by May 15.

If approved, construction could begin in the fourth quarter, with commercial operation expected by the end of second quarter of 2024. Energy Vault called the project a “first-of-its-kind” and the largest utility-scale green hydrogen project in the U.S.

The storage system will be owned, operated and maintained by Energy Vault while providing dispatchable power under a 10+ year agreement with California’s largest utility.

Energy Vault’s BH-ESS would replace the diesel generators used in PG&E’s Calistoga microgrid during grid outages. The system would integrate a short duration battery system, for grid forming and black start capabilities, with a long duration fuel cell plus green liquid hydrogen storage system. The fuel cell would be powered by electrolytic hydrogen from renewable energy sources.

PG&E would use and upgrade its existing distribution infrastructure to establish the microgrid. The entire system would be developed on less than one acre of land and is expected to serve as a model for Energy Vault’s future utility-scale hybrid storage system deployments.

A June 2020 CPUC Decision required large electric investor-owned utilities to accelerate deployment of microgrids and resiliency projects to minimize the impacts of power outages. In 2021, CPUC directed PG&E to implement a microgrid program to support the resiliency of local governments.

Gravity-based energy storage provider Energy Vault has landed a deal with DG Fuels for 1.6 GWh of energy storage to support sustainable aviation fuel projects.

The gravity storage systems will be deployed at DG Fuels projects in Louisiana, British Columbia, and Ohio, providing green electricity in conjunction with solar to match demand load of green hydrogen production. The renewable power will be used to power HydrogenPro water electrolysis for both hydrogen and oxygen feedstock production.

The deal is expected to generate $520 million in revenue, Energy Vault said. The first of the three projects is expected to commence in mid-2022.

“We are proud to collaborate with DG Fuels and its partners to economically enable 24/7 renewable power, supporting DG Fuels to execute against their plans to efficiently deliver green fuel to the aviation industry," Energy Vault CEO Robert Piconi said. "Our energy storage systems are designed to maximize the use of local materials and stimulate local job creation, thus amplifying the sustainability benefits of DG Fuels’ deployment plans. These projects will play a critical role in reducing our reliance on fossil-based fuels while further advancing our country’s decarbonization goals.”

Read more: Energy Vault valued at $1.1 billion after merger

Energy Vault's energy storage systems use gravity to store and release renewable energy on demand, giving grid-scale reliability to clean energy sources in place of fossil fuels.

Energy Vault's special purpose acquisition merger with Novus Capital Corporation II in September valued the company at $1.1 billion. The company said at the time that it had eight executed agreements and letters of intent for 1.2 GWh of energy storage capacity, with deployments planned for later this year in the U.S., before rolling out in Europe, the Middle East, and Australia in 2022.

Energy Vault storage systems have a technical life of 35 years.

“We are pleased to be partnering with Rob and the Energy Vault team to deploy their innovative energy storage system which best meets our needs for reliable, cost effective, safe and sustainable energy storage," said DG Fuels CEO Michael Darcy. "Energy Vault’s system will play a critical role within our technology and vendor ecosystem to efficiently deliver SAF to the transportation industry.”