Project Bella
Quick Ramping Thermal and Grid Charged BESS Generation.
Project Overview
The total site, located on approximately 350 acres in Pinal County Arizona, will consist of two independent generation facilities. Cazador del Sol, 480 MW of thermal gas-fired generation; Atrapa Soles, 440 MW of Battery Energy Storage in which the facilities will utilize a common, shared interconnection to the 500 kV Duke – Pinal Central line. The interconnection to the 500 kV system will provide ideal deliverability to the Arizona load during peak periods and utilize excess solar renewable energy from the grid during low demand periods for battery charging and load shifting. The project may be developed in phases to accommodate the capacity and associated energy requirements of the off-takers. Commercial Operation is planned for late 2027 or early 2028.
Frequency Regulation
The Projects will provide system reliability through quick dispatch and automatic generation control technology.
Peak Shaving
The Projects maintain reliable capacity that can be deployed to provide low-cost electricity and minimize wholesale market price risk.
Load Shifting
The Projects are specifically designed to manage electricity demand and assist with efficient intra-day balancing.
Cazador del Sol
Cazador del Sol consists of ten (10) GE LM6000 PC natural gas turbines with a total installed capacity of approximately 480 MW. The highly reliable aeroderivative units are designed for quick start, ramping and efficient heat rate. The quick ramping capability is ideal for renewable energy integration and local reliability purposes via direct control or AGC. Commercial Operation Date – Fall 2027 to Spring 2028.
Atrapa Soles
Atrapa Soles, designed specifically for the SW conditions, will consists of a total 440 MW / 1760 MWH of grid-charged battery energy storage with liquid cooled cabinets and self-contained fire suppression systems. The quick deployment of charge and discharge to and from the grid can provide essential load shifting, renewable integration, frequency regulation and peak energy supply to compliment local reliability. Commercial Operation Date – Spring 2027 to Fall 2027.
Natural Gas fired capacity and associated energy attributes including thermal energy storage optimization and AGC control.
- Capacity / Energy: 480 MW with up to 4,300 hours per year of dispatch
- Minimum Up: 4 hours
- Minimum Down: 2 hours
- Availability: 96% (Peak Period)
Grid-Charged Battery Energy Storage System with liquid cooling and AGC control.
- Capacity / Energy: 400 MW / 1,760 MWH per cycle
- Discharge: 4 Hours
- Cycles per Year: 365
- Availability: 98 %
Electrical and Natural Gas Interconnection
The Project maintains directly proximately to the Pinal to Duke 500 kV and WAPA 230 kV electrical transmission and EPNG natural gas interconnection.
The Project Site runs parallel to the Duke / Pinal Central 500 kV line, which is part of the Pinal West to Pinal Central transmission corridor. Transmission owners include SRP, TEP, WAPA and AEPCO. In addition, WAPA’s 230 kV line runs on the same towers.
The Project site includes direct proximity and easement for the El Paso Natural Gas Pipeline (EPNG). EPNG maintains adequately suitable capacity to deliver sufficient quantities and pressure as required for the sustainable operation of the site. In addition, the Transwestern Natural Gas Pipeline is approximately 6 miles from the site, if additional gas pipeline supply redundancy is desired.