- The technologies could have significantly longer durations
than existing batteries and offer other improvements
RICHMOND, Va., Sept. 19,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In a filing Monday with the
Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC), Dominion Energy
Virginia proposed a groundbreaking battery storage pilot project
that could significantly increase the length of time batteries can
discharge electricity to the grid.
The Darbytown Storage Pilot Project will test two new
technologies as potential alternatives to traditional lithium-ion
batteries, both of which could offer strengthened safety features
for battery storage.
One of the technologies could discharge energy for multiple
days. The batteries in the company's fleet and across the U.S. have
durations that, on average, are limited to four hours or less.
The proposed project comes at a critical time as the company
develops the largest offshore wind project in the U.S. and
continues expanding the second-largest solar fleet in the
nation.
"We are making the grid increasingly clean in Virginia with historic investments in offshore
wind and solar," said Ed Baine,
President of Dominion Energy Virginia. "With longer-duration
batteries in the mix, this project could be a transformational step
forward, helping us safely discharge stored energy when it is
needed most by our customers."
The pilot project, which will be located at the existing
Darbytown Power Station in Henrico
County, will test two alternatives to lithium-ion batteries:
iron-air batteries developed by Form Energy and zinc-hybrid
batteries developed by Eos Energy Enterprises.
Form Energy's iron-air technology has the potential to discharge
energy for up to 100 hours, significantly longer than the batteries
available on the market today.
"We are pleased to partner with Dominion Energy on the
innovative Darbytown Storage Pilot Project and look forward to
delivering a 100-hour iron-air battery system that will enhance
grid reliability and provide Dominion's Virginia customers with access to wind and
solar energy when and where it is needed over periods of multiple
days," Form Energy's co-founder and CEO Mateo Jaramillo said.
"We are proud to have been selected for this critical project.
Dominion understands that meeting our future energy needs requires
multiple storage technologies," said Joe
Mastrangelo, Chief Executive Officer of Eos Energy
Enterprises. "We're excited to show Dominion how well our
zinc-hybrid batteries perform."
In addition to SCC approval, the project would require
development plan approval from Henrico
County. If approved, construction would begin by late 2024,
and the project would be operational by late 2026.
The project would add to Dominion Energy Virginia's growing
fleet of battery storage facilities, including three in operation
in Powhatan, New Kent and Hanover counties. The company has three
additional large-scale battery storage facilities under development
in Chesterfield County,
Sussex County and at Dulles International Airport in Loudoun County.
About Dominion Energy
About 7 million customers
in 15 states energize their homes and businesses with
electricity or natural gas from Dominion Energy (NYSE: D),
headquartered in Richmond, Va. The company is committed
to safely providing reliable, affordable and sustainable
energy and to achieving Net Zero emissions by
2050. Please visit DominionEnergy.com to learn
more.
About Form Energy
Form Energy is an American technology company developing and
commercializing a new class of cost-effective, multi-day energy
storage systems. Form Energy's first announced commercial product
is a rechargeable iron-air battery capable of delivering
electricity for 100 hours at system costs competitive with
conventional power plants and at less than 1/10th the cost of
lithium-ion. Made from iron, one of the safest, cheapest, and most
abundant minerals on Earth, this front-of-the-meter battery can be
used continuously over a multi-day period and will enable a
reliable and secure grid year-round. To learn more about Form
Energy, please visit www.FormEnergy.com.
About Eos Energy Enterprises
Eos Energy Enterprises, Inc. is accelerating the shift to clean
energy with positively ingenious solutions that transform how the
world stores power. Our breakthrough Znyth™ aqueous zinc battery
was designed to overcome the limitations of conventional
lithium-ion technology. Safe, scalable, efficient, sustainable—and
manufactured in the U.S—it's the core of our innovative systems
that today provide utility, industrial, and commercial customers
with a proven, reliable energy storage alternative for 3- to
12-hour applications. Eos was founded in 2008 and is headquartered
in Edison, New Jersey. For more
information about Eos (NASDAQ: EOSE), visit eose.com.
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SOURCE Dominion Energy