Project Overview
The Irrican Power Ltd ("“Irrican Power”) enhanced Battery and Renewables (“eBAR”) Project will consist of lithium-ion battery storage systems, that will be connected to existing Irrican Power generation assets and used to store excess energy and release it during periods of high electricity demand.
What is a Battery Storage System, and why is it required?
Battery energy storage systems (“BESS”) do not create new electricity, but rather hold previously generated electricity in large capacity batteries. For the Project, electricity will be drawn from the Hydro Plant and from the Alberta grid, stored in batteries for a period of time, and released as stored energy upon demand for the AESO. The battery storage system will also effectively return energy to the electricity grid during times when demand is high.
The worldwide need for energy storage, and specifically battery storage systems, has increased in recent years, as renewable energy sources such as wind and solar generation make up an increasingly larger percentage of the electricity supply. While renewable power sources have a low carbon footprint, the output produced is inherently intermittent and challenging to predict. This situation is challenging for grid management, when renewable electricity sources cannot be adjusted to increases or decreases in electricity demand. Battery storage systems provide a unique solution by storing energy and releasing it to other hours of the day when needed from increasing energy demand.
Technology Selection
Lithium-ion battery technology is a safe, reliable and proven technology used around the world for the efficient storage of electricity. There are multiple installations of this technology in Canada, and throughout United States, including sites currently under development or operating in Alberta since 2017. Globally there are thousands of installed megawatts of battery storage, with some operating for over two decades.
Irrican Power is currently working with top-tier global manufacturers of battery storage technology to select the appropriate battery equipment for this Project. It is of the utmost importance to Irrican Power to choose a supplier with an established history of installations for battery equipment with considerations for operational efficiency, safety, construction quality, and a proven reliability record.
Regulatory
The Alberta Utilities Commission (“AUC”) regulates the utilities sector, natural gas and electricity markets to protect social, economic and environmental interests of. The AUC is an independent, quasi-judicial agency of the province of Alberta and is responsible for ensuring that the delivery of Alberta's utility service takes place in a manner that is fair, responsible and in the public interest.
About Irrican
In October 1988, the provincial government introduced the Small Power Research and Development Program. The program assured a guaranteed price and market for power thus making small power projects in Alberta viable. In order to benefit from this program, Irrigation Canal Power Cooperative Ltd. was formed to develop hydro power projects on the existing water conveyance infrastructure in Southern Alberta. Irrican is a cooperative subject to the Alberta Cooperatives Act. The hydro power projects are located at several sites along the St. Mary Main Canal, and the three benefited districts, the Taber Irrigation District, the St. Mary River Irrigation District and the Raymond Irrigation District jointly established Irrican.