Eni Plenitude, the utility division of oil and gas major Eni, has successfully completed the construction of the 200MW/400MWh Guajillo battery energy storage system (BESS) in Texas.

Announced on January 13, the project was completed in Webb County, Southwest Texas, by Eni’s subsidiary, Eni New Energy US. The system, utilizing lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery technology, is situated adjacent to Plenitude’s 266MWdc/200MWac Corazon Solar Farm and is expected to begin operations by mid-2025.

Eni New Energy US has been steadily growing its solar PV footprint in the United States, acquiring 272MWac of solar projects under construction in 2023 and the 81MW Kellam PV plant in North Texas in 2022. Prior to Guajillo, its sole operational BESS in the US was a 6.6MWh system in Massachusetts, which was acquired through Falck Renewables.

Texas is an increasingly active hub for battery energy storage, with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) overseeing the grid. The state ranks second in the US for BESS activity, behind California, but developers face challenges. Recently, residents in Van Zandt County filed a lawsuit against a proposed lithium-ion BESS project, and Katy council members denied a permit for a 500MW standalone system proposed by IPP Vesper Energy.

Guajillo isn’t the first BESS in Webb County. Aypa Power closed financing for the 173MWh Wolf Tank BESS in 2022.

Globally, Eni and its subsidiaries are active in energy storage markets. In 2023, Eni Plenitude commissioned a 15MW/9MWh BESS in Cagliari, Italy, and in 2019, Eni Australia acquired a 33.7MW solar-plus-storage project in Australia’s Northern Territory.

Patrick Monino, Head of Plenitude Renewables North America and Managing Director of Eni New Energy US, highlighted the significance of the Guajillo project:
“Large lithium-ion batteries are a rapidly expanding technology, enabling an increasing penetration of renewable energies in electrical systems.”

He added:

“Guajillo’s completion positions Plenitude at the forefront also in this sector and consolidates our presence in the U.S. renewable energy market, where we have reached 1.5 GW of installed capacity.”