Dominion Energy plans to build battery storage project in Virginia

US utility Dominion Energy has filed with the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) to build an 11MW battery energy storage project.

The Darbytown storage pilot project will be located within the Darbytown Power Station in Henrico County. A conventional energy storage system will have an average discharge limit of about four hours or less.

It will be a testbed for two potential alternative technologies for lithium-ion-based energy storage systems. The alternative technologies are expected to offer safety features for battery storage.

Dominion has selected Eos Energy to supply 4MW/16 megawatt-hours of its zinc-hybrid batteries and Form Energy to supply its iron-air batteries with the potential to discharge energy for up to 100 hours for the project.

The company stated that the project comes at a time when it is also developing an offshore wind project as well as expanding its solar fleet, the second-largest in the US.

Dominion Energy Virginia president Ed Baine said: "We are making the grid increasingly clean in Virginia with historic investments in offshore wind and solar.

"With longer-duration batteries in the mix, this project could be a transformational step forward, helping us safely discharge stored energy when it is needed most by our customers."

In addition to approval from SCC, the project also needs to secure development plan approval from Henrico County. If approved, the project's construction is expected to begin late next year and commence operations in late 2026.

Form Energy co-founder and CEO Mateo Jaramillo said: "We are pleased to partner with Dominion Energy on the innovative Darbytown Storage Pilot Project and look forward to delivering a 100-hour iron-air battery system that will enhance grid reliability and provide Dominion's Virginia customers with access to wind and solar energy when and where it is needed over periods of multiple days."