MILAN (Reuters) - Italy's Enel (MI:ENEI) has installed New York City's biggest battery storage system, which it said on Monday will help power the Brooklyn area during periods of peak demand.
The need for battery storage systems is expected to mushroom as renewable energy plays an ever-greater role in helping to power the grid when there is not enough wind or sun.
NYC is looking to install 3,000 MW of energy storage by 2030 to help build a cleaner and more resilient grid and Enel said the 16.4 Megawatt hour (MWh) battery will help cut emissions by limiting the use of more carbon-intensive power.
Enel, Europe's biggest utility and one of the world's biggest renewable energy companies, said it had developed a 4.8-megawatt lithium ion battery system near a shopping center in East New York together with real estate owner Related Companies.
The battery is designed to support the local grid of New York energy company Con Edison when demand hits highs, it said in a joint statement with Related.
Enel said its Gateway Center Project had so far delivered more than 100 MWh of stored electricity to the local grid.