Ravenswood Development will demolish the remaining peaker plants in Queens and replace them with a 316 MW/2,528 MWh energy storage facility. (Image credit: Ravenswood Development)
New York’s Public Service Commission has given the green light to dismantle LS Power’s remaining gas peaker plants in Queens, and replace them with a 316 MW/2,528 MWh battery energy storage project undertaken by Ravenswood Development (PDF document). The project is expected to be the largest battery energy storage facility in the world, and will be installed in three phases- 129 MW, 98 MW, and 89 MW, with the first phase slated for completion by March 2021.
When completed, the 316 MW of power will meet slightly over 10% of New York State’s energy storage goal of 3,000 MW by 2030. The storage project will feature 136 battery storage and inverter units, with 64 of them double stacked. According to the PDF, Ravenswood will use SMA’s Sunny Central 2500-EV-US inverters, as well as lithium-ion battery modules for storage. The facility will draw power directly from the grid and will provide 8-hours of energy during off-peak periods.
An acoustical analysis showed that the proposed facility would raise noise levels at the site by only 3 decibels, which was a serious factor considering residential neighborhoods are near the plant. While the energy drawn from the grid will come from any source, including coal and gas, the new storage facility will lower carbon emissions, as the removal of the gas peaker plants will curtail the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.
In a recent press release, VP of project development at LS Power Mike Vogt stated, “With this key approval in hand, we look forward to moving to the next important step in this project, which includes submittal of a solid battery energy storage system proposal to Con Edison in response to their RFP. The Ravenswood Generating Station Battery Energy Storage Project was designed to support the regional growth in renewables over the next decade, and we look forward to working with Con Edison and New York to achieve their goals.”
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