BYD to Build the ‘World’s Largest’ Battery Storage Projects
Chinese energy giant BYD has recently signed a deal to construct the largest battery storage projects in the world for Saudi Arabia. The company plans to establish facilities at five different sites, collectively providing a staggering 12.5 GWh of energy storage capacity.
To put this in perspective, the average household in the US consumes about 1,000 kWh per month. Since 1 GWh equals 1 million kilowatt hours, BYD’s system could theoretically supply power to approximately 1,042 homes for a full year with the energy stored in its batteries.
This contract with the Saudi Electricity Company is part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiative, which aims to generate 50% of the nation’s electricity from renewable sources within the next five years. This initiative is a key component of the broader strategy to achieve net-zero carbon emissions across various industries by 2060.
Each site will feature BYD’s MC Cube-T Energy Storage System (ESS), which incorporates the company’s efficient and compact Blade batteries, also utilized in its electric vehicles. This system is designed to tightly integrate all its components, including cooling systems, electronics, and protective casings, resulting in a smaller footprint.
The combined capacity of these five sites will be nearly four times greater than that of the current largest battery energy storage facility in the world, the 3.287 GWh Edwards & Sanborn project located in Kern County, California. This development marks a significant milestone in Saudi Arabia’s energy storage aspirations.
Recently, the country has been actively enhancing its local infrastructure, having connected its largest existing battery energy storage system—the 2 GWh Bisha facility—to the grid just last month. Saudi Arabia is already among the top ten global markets for energy storage and could potentially secure third place by next year, following China and the US, if it meets its target of achieving 22 GWh of operational energy storage by 2026.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/byd-to-develop-worlds-largest-battery-storage-projects-in-saudi-arabia/
