Enel Green Power has begun construction of the 350MW Azure Sky wind farm paired with 137MW battery storage capability in northcentral Texas, its first such large-scale hybrid project globally that is set to supply food giant Kellogg’s.

The facility, which the developer expects to have in full operation in the first half of 2022, will employ 79 turbines and lithium-ion batteries that will provide ancillary services to enhance grid flexibility and stability. It will generate about 1.3TWh of electricity each year.

Having more energy storage capability would have been hugely helpful last month when extreme cold weather forced numerous fossil generators off-line, prompting grid operator Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to shed load and leaving millions of people in the dark for days without heat and water.

In January, there was 225MW of installed battery storage in ERCOT which services 90% of electric load in the largest US state power market.

Kellogg's launch customer

Food manufacturing giant Kellogg Company is the project’s launch customer, signing a virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) for 100MW capacity equivalent to 360GWh delivered to the grid annually. This will represent 50% of Kellogg’s electricity usage across its manufacturing operations in North America.

VPPAs allow corporate renewable buyers to commit to green energy without taking physical delivery of the electricity and are based on variable-priced cash flow and renewable energy certificates.

Enel CEO Salvatore Bernabei said the large hybrid plant demonstrates the developer’s “continued commitment to leading the energy transition towards a 100% renewable powered electric grid.”

“This transition is supported and accelerated by commercial customers, like Kellogg Company, who are placing sustainability at the core of their business,” he added.

Enel is also constructing two large solar hybrid projects in Texas: the 284MW Azure Sky and 181MW Lily.

On 1 January 2020, Enel ranked fifth among wind power owners in the US with 3.9GW of installed capacity, trailing NextEra Energy Resources, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Avangrid Renewables and EDP Renewables, according to American Clean Power, a national trade group.

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Kellogg's to feast on power from huge Texan wind and storage plant