Calibrant Energy will deliver a 31MW/62MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) at Aligned Data Centers’ campus in the Pacific Northwest area of the US.
Aligned hailed the project as being the ‘first-of-its-kind’, because it “will be the first time in the US that a battery system is purpose-built to accelerate interconnection and bring a large-scale data centre online.”
The on-site system, set to become operational in 2026, will allow the facility to start and expand its operations several years earlier than traditional utility upgrades would permit.
Calibrant and Aligned have been collaborating with the regional utility in the Pacific Northwest from the beginning of negotiations to examine flexibility options for enhancing and speeding up interconnection.
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Built with Calibrant’s ‘Path to Power’ solution, a scalable and repeatable method that utilises on-site energy to address siting and capacity issues, the system functions as a grid-responsive asset.
It is designed to discharge during peak demand, enhance grid reliability, and provide continuous service to Aligned’s customers.
Calibrant and Aligned emphasise their focus on safety and highlight their commitment to using domestically manufactured components for this project, sourcing from suppliers with strong US-based manufacturing and supply chains.
The companies claim that the battery system surpasses international safety standards by featuring multiple protection layers, such as safe battery chemistry, integrated fire prevention, and 24/7 remote monitoring.
Notably, key equipment, including transformers, switchgear, and battery modules, were all manufactured or assembled in the US.
Calibrant and Aligned have confirmed they are exploring similar projects in other markets, indicating a scalable strategy for data centre operators dealing with interconnection issues.
Placing the BESS on-site is a unique approach to combining the two technologies. Often, BESS projects power data centres through offtake agreements, typically being built in a separate location.
This is the case for Ørsted and utility Salt River Project’s (SRP’s) Arizona BESS, which has a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Meta for its data centre in Mesa.
Investor-owned utility (IOU) Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) is also seeking approval of offtake agreements with three BESS projects to support another Meta data centre in Valencia County, New Mexico.
Last year, though the project would be located in Switzerland, real estate developer ERNE Gruppe and architecture firm FlexBase announced a similar project that would see a data centre built with a 500MW BESS.
Phil Martin, CEO at Calibrant, said of the company’s collaboration with Aligned:
“Instead of waiting years for substation and transmission line upgrades, fossil-based generators, or going off grid entirely, we’re working with leading data centre providers like Aligned and engaged and forward-thinking utilities to use distributed energy solutions to meet their growth objectives.”
