The largest energy storage in the world is… even bigger!

The proprietor of Vistra Energy has recently revealed the successful completion of the expansion project for the Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility located in California. Notably, this facility stands as the largest lithium battery energy storage system (BESS) globally.

The initiative is now advancing into its third phase of development, where the newly integrated batteries will be utilized for full commercial operation. Recently completed, Phase II brought an additional 350 megawatts (MW) of capacity, equating to a total of 1,400 megawatt-hours (MWh) of capacity, to the system. As it stands, the cumulative capacity of the Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility has reached 750 MW/3,000 MWh.

Reliability guaranteed

The primary user of the Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility is the California-based energy company Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E). This company has established an agreement with Vistra to guarantee resource adequacy (RA), a mechanism that ensures a dependable electricity supply to consumers.

Resource adequacy (RA) stands as a key driver behind the rapid expansion of the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) market in California, which has already surpassed 5 gigawatts (GW). Suppliers of energy storage systems can anticipate securing consistent and long-term contracts due to the RA framework in place.

Strong competition

Vistra Energy has officially confirmed the on-time completion of the expansion, achieved within a 16-month timeline. This extension involved the addition of more than 110,000 batteries within 112 container units.

The Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility asserts that it has the potential to accommodate up to 1.5 gigawatts (GW) or 6 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of batteries, contingent upon favorable market conditions for profitability. An advantageous aspect is that the system was constructed on the premises of a natural gas power plant, which facilitates direct utilization of the local power infrastructure.

Running concurrently with the Moss Landing project, other substantial initiatives are also taking shape across the globe. In Australia, the construction of the Waratah Super Battery system is underway, set to possess a capacity of at least 850 MW/1,680 MWh.

Meanwhile, in the UK, Carlton Power has recently obtained planning permission for a project near Manchester. This energy storage facility, projected to be 1,040 MW/2,080 MWh, is indicative of the ongoing development of similar large-scale projects worldwide.