Industrial energy storage project financing options in Canada 2030

Does project finance apply to energy storage projects?

The general principles of project finance that apply to the financing of solar and wind projects also apply to energy storage projects. Since the majority of solar projects currently under construction include a storage system, lenders in the project finance markets are willing to finance the construction and cashflows of an energy storage project.

How many energy storage projects are there in Alberta?

While there are nearly 50 energy storage projects currently listed within the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO)’s projects list, the development of a 600MW portfolio of five solar-plus-storage projects by Westbridge Renewable Energy Corp. is underway.

What is the fastest growing energy storage technology in Canada?

BESS is the fastest growing energy storage technology in Canada and is also the dominant storage technology in terms of capacity and number of sites. All but four projects proposed to be commissioned by 2030 are battery storage, with two CAES and two PHS projects also proposed.

When did energy storage start in Canada?

The first energy storage project in Canada, the Sir Adam Beck Pump Generating Station, came online in 1957. However, the next project did not come online until 2013. There are three main types of energy storage currently commercially available in Canada:

Are solar and wind projects a good investment?

These projects will have long-term predictable revenue streams. In addition, lenders may be willing to finance merchant cashflows, but with less leverage and subject to detailed market studies and cash sweeps. These trends for solar and wind projects also apply to energy storage projects.

Can Canada reach the full potential for energy storage?

However, that leaves a wide gap to close to realize Canada’s goals and to reach the full potential for energy storage in the country. Even the low end of the estimated potential for storage is equivalent to Manitoba’s entire installed generating capacity as of 2020. Today’s national installed capacity of energy storage is less than 1GW.