Power generating operator and supplier Ormat Technologies has bought the lithium-ion Pomona battery energy storage facility in California, US, from AtlaGas Holdings for $47 million.
Ormat said the acquisition of the 20MW/80MWh Pomona facility brings its energy storage portfolio to 73MW/136MWh of operating assets.
The Pomona system took four months to deploy, which was an industry world record in 2015 when it was brought online as partial response to the four month long Aliso Canyon gas leak, which caused California’s energy system to suffer weeks of blackouts.
As well as acquiring existing energy storage assets Ormat has been developing a 933MW generation portfolio.
In commercial operation since 31 December 2016 the facility is under a 10-year resource adequacy agreement with Southern California Edison guaranteeing that energy will be available to the utility as needed.
Appointed in July 2020, Ormat CEO Dormon Blachar said: “Energy storage resources play a key role in achieving California’s goal to have 100% of its electricity come from carbon-free resources by 2045, by replacing natural gas generators and facilitating massive absorption of renewable energy resources.”
