By Mike Renzella
The Haldimand Press
HAGERSVILLE—Last Thursday, Boralex, a renewable energy company specializing in multiple environmentally-focused fields, housed an open house offering the public a first look at a proposed battery energy storage system (BESS) under consideration for Hagersville.
Michelle Closson, Team Leader, Environment & Community Relations for Boralex, gave a breakdown of how the system would work, and the necessary steps that would need to be taken before moving forward, including a comprehensive environmental study.
“BESS are devices that enable energy from power sources, like hydroelectric, wind, or even the electrical grid itself, to be stored and then released when customers need power most. Lithium-ion batteries, which are used in mobile phones and electric cars, are currently the most used storage technology for large-scale energy storage projects to help electricity grids ensure a reliable supply of energy.”
The Hagersville BESS project would be a stand-alone facility, meaning it would only be connected to the Hydro One transmission system, not linked to a renewable energy production site, such as wind or solar.
She said the system would be capable of providing reliable power capacity by storing existing surplus energy generation from the grid during off-peak periods and releasing it back to the Ontario grid when energy demand is at its peak: “By doing so, it would help the Ontario Independent Electrical System Operator (IESO) meet its energy capacity needs and benefit the overall Ontario electricity system and consumers.”
She explained why Hagersville is being considered, listing proximity to a substation or transmission lines, landowners that are interested in optioning their land and have land that is the appropriate size, and land that meets all the technical, regulatory, and permitting requirements (flat land, no wetlands, not home to endangered species, etc.).
“The Hagersville BESS project location meets all these requirements, as it would be located close to existing Hydro One transmission lines and is located in an industrial site,” said Closson.
The completed facility would consist of containerized batteries, inverters, medium voltage transformers, gravel internal access roads, buried collector and communication cabling, a small transmission substation, and a potential garage and operations and maintenance building.
Closson said the layout of the infrastructure has yet to be confirmed and will be determined through additional engineering studies, equipment procurement, and an environmental assessment. The project would also include a 3-4km transmission line to connect to the Hydro One transmission system via a 230-kilovolt interconnection. The project is anticipated to have a capacity targeting 100-300 MW for four hours.
Closson cautioned that the project remains at an early stage and relies on being selected in upcoming funding from Ontario IESO.
“Even though the project is at an early development stage, it is important for us to share our intentions and engage the community as soon as possible to ensure that our project would be well integrated into the host environment,” said Closson. “Our goal is to present our intention and get feedback to improve the project.”
Last week’s open house gave attendees a chance to talk to team members about how the system works, the environmental assessment process, and more. Future open houses will be scheduled when the project meets a milestone. The next milestone expected is the results of the Class EA/IESO Procurement process in winter/spring 2023.
She said those unable to attend the open house, but seeking more information, can contact the team at 437-421-5238, by email at info@boralex.com, or online at boralex.com/projects/hagersville.
“The project will have a positive impact on the environment and combat climate change by mitigating the variability of renewable energy production and the cycling of natural gas facilities,” said Closson. “Levelling this variability helps ensure the reliability and stability of the electricity grid as it fosters the penetration of renewable energies. A project like this also helps to reduce harmful emissions as it lightens the load of traditional energy generation systems that rely on fossil fuels, such as gas-fired power plants.”
She said construction of the system would create about 200 jobs, with two to three full-time employees, “likely hired locally,” to run the system once complete.
“During construction, in addition to payroll, Boralex estimates materials and services would be procured locally (e.g. aggregates, civil works, machinery),” concluded Closson. “Boralex would also pursue donations and sponsorship opportunities in consultation with Haldimand County and local stakeholders. We have had discussion with Haldimand County regarding the project’s community Vibrancy Fund and are currently in discussion with Indigenous communities to evaluate partnership opportunities and ways to maximize local economic benefits.”
