The Madero and Ignacio energy storage plants will be operated using Eolian software, enabling full participation in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) market, adding year-round reliable operational ramping capacity to the system.  

The facilities’ multi-hour continuous dispatch capability provides the longest duration of any energy storage assets operating in ERCOT and, as a combined site, the project is thought to be the world’s largest (in MWh) fully-merchant and market-facing energy storage facility built to-date, claim the partners. It is also the first use of the investment tax credit for standalone utility-scale energy storage systems, which was introduced in the US through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

Construction of the projects began in January 2021 to meet the evolving flexibility and reliability needs of the ERCOT market. The facility reacts instantaneously to sustain electricity output and keep the lights on when power generation fails or cannot respond quickly enough to rapidly changing conditions.

‘Texas needs more flexible capacity solutions like energy storage for grid support and energy resource optimisation. This will help the state as it faces the natural replacement cycle of older inflexible generators and adapts to more frequent extreme weather events,’ comments Risto Paldanius, Vice President Americas, Wärtsilä Energy.