Metal-hydrogen battery firm EnerVenue is set to deploy up to 420MWh of its technology following a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Sonnell Power Solution, a subsidiary of Puerto Rico’s Grupo Sonnell.
Under the terms of the deal, Sonnell will deploy 40MWh of the US-firm’s EnerStation nickel-hydrogen battery systems in 2023, with volume increasing to 420MWh in 2024 and 2025.
Transportation and logistics services firm Grupo Sonnell is aggressively expanding into the energy sector through its new subsidiary at a time when Puerto Rico faces rising demand for alternative energy and grid-resilient solutions.
The urgency has been particularly pronounced following the destruction caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017 and the continuing power grid deficiencies left in the storm’s aftermath.
Puerto Rico’s industrial sector has remained particularly ready for widespread energy transformation, with businesses actively seeking transitions into renewable energy solutions.
José Rodríguez Varela, president, Sonnell Power Solutions, said: “The industrial sector in Puerto Rico faces a crucial and time-sensitive need for more sustainable, affordable, and reliable energy.
“EnerVenue’s storage solutions enable us to reduce the critical midday demand on the grid— and significantly lower energy costs— for industrial customers.
“We anticipate that EnerVenue will become a cornerstone technology for us, where we are able to fulfill the market’s energy transformation needs now and going forward.”
Multi-year battery deal
In May 17, EnerVenue announced a multi-year agreement with solar and energy storage developer Pine Gate Renewables to deploy 2.4GWh of the former’s ESSs in the US.
Under the terms of the agreement, Pine Gate Renewables will deploy EnerVenue battery systems over the next four years, leveraging EnerVenue’s energy storage technology’s ability to deliver multiple power cycles each day.
Raafe Khan, director of Energy Storage at Pine Gate Renewables, said at the time: “EnerVenue batteries offer a differentiated value proposition – lower degradation across a wide temperature band, and lower cost for maintenance and augmentation, whilst posing no fire or thermal runaway risk.
“These batteries also have a stackable form factor and can last for more than 30-years while being able to cycle multiple times a day.”
Since founding in 2020, EnerVenue’s has raised $125 million in Series A funding.