Holcim decarbonizing Colorado Cement plant with Solar and Battery Storage
Holcim US has partnered with TotalEnergies to bring on-site solar power and battery energy storage to its Portland cement plant in Florence, Colorado.
Holcim says the project aligns with its commitment to power all of its U.S. operations with 100 percent renewable energy by 2050.
Under the agreement, TotalEnergies will be responsible for installing, maintaining and operating a 33 MW ground-mounted solar array and 38.5 MWh battery energy storage system at the plant. The renewable energy system is expected to begin operations in 2025.
To ensure maximum energy output, the solar array will be optimized with single-axis solar trackers that track the sun’s movement throughout the day, along with high-performance bifacial solar panels that generate power on both the front and back sides.
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Additionally, the energy storage system aims to reduce the impact of the factory on the local utility grid, especially during on-peak periods when regional demand for electricity is high.
The TotalEnergies solar-plus-storage solution is expected to cut the plant’s CO2 emissions by more than 40,000 tons annually and offset more than 40 percent of its current energy demand, Holcim said in its release. Under a power purchase and storage services agreement with a minimum term of 15 years, Holcim says it will receive approximately 71,000 MWh of clean power from the project each year.
“As we work to accelerate green growth across the United States, it’s critical that we come to the table with partners who share similar goals around circularity and renewable energy,” said Atl Martinez, VP of Procurement for Holcim North America. “This initiative with TotalEnergies demonstrates an ongoing determination to transform our operations and lower our carbon footprint.”
Holcim US is a wholly owned subsidiary of Switzerland-based sustainable building solutions company Holcim, while TotalEnergies is a multi-energy company headquartered in France.
