In Texas, Vitis Energy announces financial close of the Apache Hill Energy Centre while Enertis Applus+ provides independent engineering services for Excelsior Energy Capital portfolio company Lydian Energy.
Vitis Energy announces financial close of 400MWh BESS
IPP Vitis Energy has announced financial close of the 200MW/400MWh Apache Hill Energy Centre located in Hood County, Texas.
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The battery energy storage system (BESS) is designed to bolster grid reliability and support the Electric Reliability Council of Texas’s (ERCOT’s) energy infrastructure.
Societe Generale served as the coordinating lead arranger, green loan coordinator, sole book-runner, structuring agent, and issuing bank for the project’s US$155 million credit facility, with Greenprint Capital supplying the tax equity investment.
MasTec Renewables has been selected to provide engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services.
The energy storage arm of Chinese solar PV inverter manufacturer Sungrow will supply the BESS.
Apache Hill is scheduled to commence operations in July 2026. Vitis says it will provide rapid-response energy storage capabilities, mitigate peak demand impacts and integrate renewable energy sources.
Vitis was established in 2022 and certified as a women’s business enterprise by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council that same year.
This certification indicates that at least 51% of the company is owned and actively managed by women. In contrast, most BESS IPPs in the ERCOT market are owned by institutions or led by men.
In 2024, the company acquired Apache Hill from developer Black Mountain Energy Storage.
Stephanie Clarkson, CEO of Vitis Energy said of Apache Hill’s financial close:
“As a young company with big ambitions, we’ve demonstrated in just three years that we can operate at the highest level in this industry. We are deeply grateful to our partners for their confidence in us and proud to have achieved this milestone together.”
Enertis Applus+ to act as independent engineer for Lydian Energy BESS projects in Texas
Consulting, engineering and quality control firm Enertis Applus+ will be acting as an independent engineer for Lydian Energy on three BESS projects in ERCOT totalling 550MW/1,433MWh.
Lydian’s Texas projects include the 150MW/391MWh Headcamp BESS, the 200MW/521MWh Crane BESS and the 200MW/521MWh Pintail BESS.
Enertis says it will provide a suite of technical advisory services for the projects, which are all expected to reach commercial operation within a year.
Lydian Energy launched in 2024 with the backing of infrastructure equity investment firm Excelsior Energy Capital, embarking on a 1.7GW pipeline of solar PV and energy storage development projects that included the 550MW in Texas.
In a guest blog for Energy-Storage.news, Vicente Parra and Carlos Sandoval of Enertis discussed key points of risk management in selecting, procuring and manufacturing BESS equipment, saying:
“Implementing robust Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QAQC) measures, along with well-structured supply chain risk mitigation strategies, from the early stages of a project is essential. A proactive and rigorous approach ensures the protection of substantial investments, enhances project profitability, and safeguards the long-term performance and safety of BESS installations.”
Enertis is providing crucial services, and boasts a team of licensed professional engineers, accredited project managers and OSHA 30 certified site personnel.
The company says this team and more performed technical due diligence (TDD) for project financing for each project.
TDD involved verifying that each project adhered to the required technical regulations and quality standards and identifying any additional technical and economic risks. Each analysis assessed site characteristics, design and main equipment, and grid connection, among other aspects.
Additionally, Enertis says it will perform milestone certification for Mechanical Completion (MC), Substantial Completion (SC), and Final Completion (FC), as the projects progress.
The three projects are at or near notice to proceed (NTP) status. ESN asked for comment on whether the tax reconciliation bill’s foreign entity of concern (FEOC) restrictions could threaten this status, but did not receive word before publication.
In late 2024, Excelsior Energy Capital signed a 7.5GWh BESS equipment supply and system integration deal with LG ES Vertech, the system integration arm of LG Energy Solution. LG ES’ equipment is manufactured in the US to meet domestic content requirements, and with the battery company headquartered in South Korea, it is unlikely to fall into the FEOC category, which is expected to impact Chinese entities.
That deal followed Excelsior signing a 2.2GWh supply agreement with Fluence, which is US-headquartered and manufactures its systems in the US, with around half of its battery cell supply coming from US-based suppliers.
