By The Star Staff
The Puerto Rico Energy Bureau (PREB) has approved LUMA Energy’s request to accelerate the adoption of battery-energy storage systems (BESS) on the island.
The PREB said the proposal from the private operator of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority’s transmission and distribution system was aligned with power public policy.
The Accelerated Storage Addition Program proposes to have the independent power producers (IPPs) that currently have power purchase and operating agreements (PPOAs) with PREPA add BESS at their locations on an accelerated basis.
A standard offer would be made to the IPPs to amend their PPOAs to add BESS capacity at their facilities. LUMA would dispatch the additional BESS capacity to provide voltage and frequency support and ancillary services, thus providing improved system reliability and reduction of load shedding events.
LUMA’s preliminary estimate based on IPP interest was that it could add around 360 megawatts (MW) of energy storage output at 13 existing IPP facilities in two phases. The first 185-MW phase can be implemented immediately, the private operator said.
Some IPPs have said first phase projects could be in commercial operation within 12 months, LUMA noted, adding that the second 175-MW phase would require minor interconnection work and could get started shortly after the first.