
E.ON Climate & Renewables North America, LLC (E.ON) announced July 25 that it has signed an agreement with Tucson Electric Power (TEP) to provide frequency response and voltage control from a grid-scale, 10-MW battery energy storage facility with a 2 MW solar array.
The Iron Horse Battery Energy Storage Project will be located adjacent to the University of Arizona Science and Technology Park southeast of Tucson. The project is expected to be completed in the first half of 2017.
Tucson Electric Power is part of UniSource Energy Services, which is part of the Fortis corporate family.
E.ON, in partnership with Greensmith Energy, will design and integrate a customized energy storage solution for TEP that is capable of providing the benefits of a conventional generation system’s availability and response capabilities.
The project will enhance TEP’s contribution to grid stability by providing ancillary services during the 10-year contract period, E.ON said in a news release.
"Beyond providing grid-scale battery storage capabilities, E.ON has partnered with utilities to provide energy through PPAs and to complete quality turnkey solar facilities," said E.ON Solar President Steve Trenholm.
In addition to supplementing TEP’s grid management, E.ON also provides energy to TEP from its 6.6 MW Tech Park Solar and 13.2 MW Valencia Solar facilities and partnered on the turnkey construction of TEP’s 17.2 MW solar facility at the Fort Huachuca Army Base near Sierra Vista, Ariz.