Axium Infrastructure and Canadian Solar Inc.‘s Recurrent Energy and CSI Energy Storage subsidiaries have begun operations at Crimson Storage, a 350 MW / 1,400 MWh standalone energy storage project in California.
Sited on public lands in Riverside County, Calif., the project holds two long-term energy storage contracts with California’s largest utilities, Southern California Edison (SCE) and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). Both contracts are part of reliability procurements directed by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).
SCE has a PPA for 200 MW / 800 MWh with a 14-year and 10-month contract under a full tolling agreement. PG&E has a 150 MW / 600 MWh 15-year contract for resource adequacy only.
Recurrent Energy and Axium will operate the battery system in the California wholesale power market.
“Crimson Storage is now the largest single phase energy storage project to reach commercial operation in the world and the second largest operating standalone energy storage projects in the world,” says Dr. Shawn Qu, chairman and CEO of Canadian Solar. “Recurrent Energy began developing Crimson Storage and our larger energy storage pipeline in 2015 when no large-scale storage projects yet existed.”
“Last year, we started bringing these projects to fruition, also thanks to our CSI Energy Storage team,” Qu continues. “We celebrate how far we have come in delivering the much-needed flexible generation that will support the U.S. and California’s transformative climate goals. We thank the California Public Utilities Commission, the U.S. Department of the Interior and our partners at Axium Infrastructure for their critical contributions to this project.”
A fund managed by Axium Infrastructure US Inc. owns 80% of the project and Recurrent Energy, the project developer, retains 20% ownership.
CSI Energy Storage was the turnkey system integrator of the project, delivering the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services and will provide long-term operational services for the project.
