Enel starts its first large-scale wind and storage hybrid project

Enel, through its US renewable subsidiary Enel Green Power North America, has started construction of Azure Sky wind + storage, its first large-scale hybrid project globally to integrate wind and battery storage at one site.

Through a 100 MW virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA), Enel will sell to Kellogg Company a 360 GWh portion of the electricity delivered to the grid annually from the Azure Sky wind project, which is equal to 50 percent of the volume of electricity used across Kellogg’s North American manufacturing facilities. Located in Throckmorton County, Texas, the 350 MW wind farm paired with approximately 137 MW of battery storage will be Enel’s third hybrid project in the US that integrates a renewable energy plant with utility-scale battery storage.

“As our first large-scale project to pair wind and storage, and our largest hybrid plant globally, Azure Sky demonstrates Enel’s continued commitment to leading the energy transition towards a 100 percent renewable powered electric grid,” said Salvatore Bernabei, CEO of Enel Green Power and Head of Enel’s Global Power Generation business line. “This transition is supported and accelerated by commercial customers, like Kellogg Company, who are placing sustainability at the core of their business.”

The 79 wind turbines at the Azure Sky project are expected to generate over 1,300 GWh each year, which will be delivered to the grid and will charge the battery located in the same facility. The expected annual electricity generated by the Azure Sky project is equivalent to avoiding the emission of over 842,000 tons of CO₂ into the atmosphere each year. The battery storage system will be capable of storing the power generated by the wind turbines, while also providing services to enhance grid flexibility. At around 137 MW, the system will be one of the largest battery storage facilities in the world.