New Energy World™
New Energy World™ embraces the whole energy industry as it connects and converges to address the decarbonisation challenge. It covers progress being made across the industry, from the dynamics under way to reduce emissions in oil and gas, through improvements to the efficiency of energy conversion and use, to cutting-edge initiatives in renewable and low-carbon technologies.
TotalEnergies has launched two utility-scale solar farms in Texas, featuring a combined capacity of 1.2 GW, whilst Octopus Energy is boosting its US solar investments, targeting solar projects across Texas and the East Coast. Meanwhile, in New York, construction of a microgrid at JFK’s New Terminal One will include the city’s largest rooftop solar array.
TotalEnergies begins operations at two Texas solar farms
TotalEnergies has started commercial operations of Danish Fields and Cottonwood, two utility-scale solar farms with a combined capacity of 1.2 GW, located in south-east Texas, US.
Danish Fields is TotalEnergies’ largest solar farm in the country, with a capacity of 720 MW and 1.4 million ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV) panels. It also features a 225 MWh battery storage system supplied by Saft, the battery subsidiary of TotalEnergies.
Some 70% of Danish’s solar capacity has been contracted through long-term corporate power purchase agreements (PPAs) signed with industry players like glassmaker Saint-Gobain. The remaining 30% will support the decarbonisation of TotalEnergies’ industrial plants in the US Gulf Coast region.
Meanwhile, Cottonwood has a capacity of 455 MW, featuring over 847,000 ground-mounted PV panels. The site will also feature 225 MWh of battery storage supplied by Saft, scheduled for commissioning in 2025. Cottonwood’s electricity production is contracted under long-term PPAs indexed to merchant prices through an upside-sharing mechanism with LyondellBasell and Saint-Gobain, to support their decarbonisation efforts.
Octopus invests in US solar
Octopus Energy’s generation division has announced it will invest in US solar developer Circal, to create 600 MW of new solar farms in the US in the next five years, with a focus on Texas.
Octopus will also support UK-based solar developer Zestec to establish operations in the US to install solar panels on commercial rooftops and land. The company plans to target businesses such as warehouses and logistics centres, with a focus on Texas and the East Coast including Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey.
NYC’s largest solar array
Elsewhere in New York, construction has begun on a solar project at JFK International Airport, it has been announced. Consisting of around 13,000 solar panels, covering roughly 370,000 sq ft, it will be the largest rooftop solar array in the city and on any airport terminal in the US.
The 12 MW microgrid will include 6.63 MW of rooftop solar, 3.84 MW of fuel cells, and 1.5 MW/3.34 MWh of battery energy storage. It will have enough capacity to assist in powering the terminal and maintaining all operations in the event of a grid outage.
Glare studies were conducted to meet Federal Aviation Administration safety regulations to ensure that sunlight reflecting off the panels does not impact aircraft pilot or air traffic controller visibility.
