Two energy companies are proposing building facilities in Hamilton that would store excess electricity.
The sites are called battery energy storage systems, and would gather unused electricity during low-usage times and distribute it during peak times each day to supplement Ontario’s power grid.
NR Stor Inc. and Aypa Power have until December 12th to submit bids as part of a provincial procurement process, and both have appeared before city councillors this week seeking a needed “municipal support resolution.”
One company’s proposed location is the Steelport lands on the Lake Ontario waterfront, while the other is suggesting a site on Powerline Road in the city’s southeast.
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Councillors have deferred any support motion until they can gather more information.
NR Stor’s Shivani Chotalia says the energy storage model will have environmental benefits for Ontario by reducing emissions and supporting the province’s transition to clean energy.
“As we bring more renewable energy into our system”, says Chotalia, “being able to store that energy with non-emitting technologies like batteries, allows us to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.”
Her company proposes a 100 megawatt storage facility, using lithium-ion prosphate technology.
Nadia Pabst of Aypa Power says the approach will also make the power grid “safer and more reliable.”
She says their proposed 300 megawatt storage facility on Powerline Road would reduce emissions by up to 4.1 million tonnes, “equivalent to taking 40,000 cars off the road.”
Both companies say they’ve scheduled public open houses, within the next few weeks, to address concerns and answer questions about their proposals.
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