Energy Vault, Wellhead, W Power Begin Commercial Operation for Stanton BESS

A partnership among Energy Vault Holdings, Wellhead Electric Company, and W Power has announced the beginning of full-scale operation at the Stanton battery energy storage system (SBES) in Stanton, CA. The BESS has a 68.8 MW/275.2 MWh capacity and will improve grid resiliency in the southern California-LA region by supporting and providing power for a high-demand load center. The BESS is in close proximity to the 98 MW SERC hybrid gas turbine project and will reduce the overall carbon intensity of the local grid.

Construction of the BESS was completed in less than 5 months and achieved maximum power output in a short time span. The BESS was tested in July of 2023 during a heatwave, and it met or exceeded expectations and technical performance commitments. Wellhead is now operating the BESS at full capacity with continued high performance.

“The Energy Vault team designed and deployed the optimal energy storage solution for our Stanton site,” said Hal Dittmer, Chief Executive Officer, Wellhead. “Only a few days after mechanical completion the system delivered full power to the grid, validating the quality of the design and execution. Energy Vault did an excellent job of providing a solution that met both the energy density requirements and the equipment delivery time frames to enable the project to go forward.”

Wellhead and W Power developed the project, while Energy Vault served as the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor and system integrator. The BESS was built with Energy Vault’s X-Vault integration platform and Vault-OS energy management system to control, manage, and optimize operations.

“The completion of the Stanton Battery Energy Storage System, under such a compressed timeline and challenging site conditions, establishes a new benchmark in the energy storage industry since the 2016 Aliso Canyon emergency. The collaborative approach with Wellhead and W Power has exploited the full potential of our X-Vault integration platform and made possible to deliver on time and on budget an HW/SW energy storage system that maximizes energy density and performances,” said Robert Piconi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Energy Vault. “I would like to thank Hal Dittmer and the Wellhead and W Power teams, who have been excellent partners throughout the process, beginning with the system concept and design through construction, completion and commencement of full-scale commercial operations.”