(Credit: Alabama Power)
Alabama’s first utility-scale battery energy storage system is currently being installed on the grounds of a former coal plant, with Tesla Megapacks being bused in by the truckload.
The utility says progress continues at the former site of the coal-fired Plant Gorgas, which was retired in 2019. Over the past year, the 150-MW energy storage project has moved from site preparation to active installation. Tesla Megapacks have been arriving at the seven‑acre site since Feb. 2, with the final of the 92 units expected soon. The Megapacks will be connected to 46 medium voltage transformers and linked through a control house to a switchyard that will tie directly into Alabama Power’s high‑voltage grid.
“The power that charges these batteries comes from our transmission grid, and that’s really any units in our fleet that’s able to produce power,” said Cameron Key, construction manager of the Gorgas BESS project. “The big thing to note there, though, is these units are charged during the non-peak times. This facility is designed to support our peak loads, to be able to put that additional power out that’s needed, so we charge during the non-peak times, and then put our power out during peak load times.”
Each of the 92 Megapacks has 24 battery modules, for a total of 2,208 modules. Each Megapack weighs about 86,000 pounds and is delivered on a flatbed truck from Lathrop, California where they are produced.
“This does provide a bright future for the existing Gorgas site, which has a long history here, and we’re proud to have the opportunity to be a part of it,” said David Tait, the leader of the team that will operate and maintain Gorgas BESS.
