TotalEnergies inks PPA with Holcim US for captive solar-storage plant

March 21 (Renewables Now) - TotalEnergies SE (EPA:TTE) has struck an agreement to build and operate a 33-MW (direct current) ground-mounted solar farm with a 38.5-MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) at a Colorado cement factory for Holcim US, part of Swiss building materials group Holcim AG (SWX:HOLN).

Holcim said on Tuesday that the parties signed a 15-year power purchase and storage services agreement (PPSSA) to catapult the project. The partnership will see the French multi-energy group install and operate the solar-plus-storage plant at Holcim’s Portland cement factory in Florence.

Holcim has pledged to power all of its US operations with 100% renewables by 2050. The Florence on-site power plant will enable it cut the factory’s CO2 emissions by more than 40,000 tonnes annually while offsetting over 40% of its current energy demand, Holcim said.

Under the PPSSA, the cement producer will receive some 71 GWh of clean power from the new setup.

The hybrid power system is expected to commence operations in 2025.