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 2028 or early 2029.
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 consists of ten (10) LM6000 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, resource adequacy and local energy reliability purposes via direct control or AGC. Commercial Operation Date – late 2028 to early 2029.
Atrapa Soles, designed specifically for the SW conditions, will consists of a total 440 MW of grid-charged battery energy storage for four or eight hour discharge with liquid cooled cabinets and self-contained monitoring and safety 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 – late 2028 to early 2029.
Natural Gas fired capacity and associated energy attributes including thermal energy storage optimization and AGC control.
Grid-Charged Battery Energy Storage System with liquid cooling and AGC control.
Electrical and Natural Gas Interconnection
The Project Site maintains direct proximity to the Pinal Central to Duke 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 portion of the Parker-Davis system (Test Track to ED 5) 230 kV line resides on the same towers as the transmission systems cross the Project’s site.
The system impact and facility studies on the 500 kV interconnection have been completed and identified network upgrades have been funded. Final engineering, procurement and construction design is being completed.
The Project Site also includes direct proximity and easement to 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 to provide additional gas pipeline supply redundancy, if desired.