Younicos provides 1MW battery for OCI Solar Power Texas project

This is the first time that LG Chem battery technology has been used in Texas's ERCOT makret. Credit: OCI
Battery-based energy storage integration and development company Younicos is to provide a 1MW turnkey battery system for a solar project in Texas from PV developer OCI Solar Power.

Younicos will design, engineer, integrate and construct the battery system, which uses technology from battery provider LG Chem. The system is expected to come online early next year.

This will be the first integrated grid-scale solar-plus-storage project to be deployed in the market covered by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which is the body responsible for operating the grid and managing the deregulated market for three quarters of Texas.

The battery system’s performance will be tested at Younicos’ technology centre in Austin prior to construction, and, once installed, Younicos’ own control software will manage the performance of the system within the ERCOT market as well as operation of the solar project.

Stephen Prince, Younicos chief revenue officer, said: “We are very pleased to expand our presence in our home market, and we congratulate OCI Solar Power as the first company to develop a grid-scale integrated solar/storage resource [in Texas]. We look forward to working with the OCI team to deliver yet another innovative grid storage solution.”

Both Younicos and OCI Solar Power are looking to collaborate on future projects under this strategic partnership.

In recent news, Younicos also launched a power converter unit and a standalone, easily deployable storage solution, marking a new move into hardware.

In June, Younicos was involved in another Texas energy storage project after utility Duke Energy selected Younicos and battery maker Samsung SDI to upgrade the energy storage system at Duke Energy’s Notrees wind farm in West Texas.