BP launches its first battery storage project at U.S. wind farm

BP Wind Energy, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Rolling Thunder I Power Partners LLC, has signed a purchase agreement to install a high-storage battery at its Titan 1 Wind Farm in South Dakota. The project is the first of its kind in BP’s U.S. operated wind business and a potential step forward in the performance and reliability of wind energy.

The 212kW/840kWhr battery, supplied by Tesla, will be integrated with the wind farm and configured to help manage internal electricity demands of turbines when wind isn’t blowing. By doing so, it will enable the wind farm to store electricity when the site is generating it, and then have that electricity available to be consumed whenever needed.

“The battery pilot project at our Titan 1 Wind Farm will provide BP Wind Energy valuable insights as we seek opportunities to use energy storage more effectively across our diverse portfolio,” said Laura Folse, chief executive of BP Wind Energy. “It’s another way that we’re working to create a wind energy business that is sustainable for the long-term and supporting the broader transition to a low-carbon future.”

Situated on 7,500 acres in Hand County, Titan 1 Wind Farm is wholly owned and operated by BP Wind Energy. The farm has 10 turbines with the capacity to generate 25 MW of wind energy – enough to power about 6,700 average homes annually.

The battery storage project is expected to launch at the site during the second half of 2018. Lessons from the project will enable BP to make better informed decisions when evaluating and developing battery applications in the future.

The project also supports BP’s broader strategy to invest half a billion dollars annually into low-carbon technologies, including projects within its established renewables portfolio as well as in new low-carbon businesses. Specifically, BP will focus on five areas: advanced mobility; bio and low-carbon products; carbon management; power and storage; and digital.

“As a global energy business, BP is committed to addressing the dual challenge of meeting society’s need for more energy, while at the same time working to reduce carbon emissions,” said Dev Sanyal, BP CEO of Alternative Energy. “Projects like this one will be key in helping us get there and in playing our role in the global energy transition.”

Renewables are the fastest growing form of energy. They account for around 4 percent of global energy demand today and by 2035 BP estimates that could grow to more than 10 percent – a rate of growth not seen in recent history.