POWER September 2021 - 27

TOP PLANT
including a battery energy storage system
at High Lonesome, along with a
similar storage system at its Roadrunner
solar farm in Texas.
San Martin told POWER, " Construction
is beginning this summer on a 57MW
[power rated DC] battery storage
facility co-located with High Lonesome.
This facility will store energy generated
by the wind turbines and discharge to
capture additional value streams and
support grid reliability. "
Other projects, including elsewhere in
Texas along with Illinois and Oklahoma,
mean Enel this summer has been working
on more than 2.3 GW of new generation
capacity, along with more than 600
MW of battery storage capacity.
" We are proud to support rural communities
across the Lone Star State by
investing in new projects that create
jobs and revenue for schools, " said San
Martin. " Furthermore, by constructing
eight utility-scale batteries this year, we
are deploying state-of-the-art storage
technology to support a more resilient
power grid. "
High Lonesome has 164 wind turbines
(Figure 1). A specification sheet
for the project from The Wind Power,
a group providing market intelligence
on wind energy, lists the majority of
turbines as Acciona AW-3465/132 and
Acciona AW-3000/132 models; Acciona
is a renewable energy developer and
global wind turbine manufacturer headquartered
in Spain. Other turbines used
in the project are GE Renewable Energy
2.3-116 models.
" Investment in the construction of
the 500-MW plant amounted to around
$720 million, " said San Martin. Enel on
its website notes that lease payments
for the project are expected to top $90
million, with local tax revenue of more
than $75 million, over the lifetime of the
project.
The project has focused on sustainability.
During construction, field offices
used water dispensers and reusable canteens
to reduce single-use plastic water
bottle use. Paper, cardboard, aluminum,
ink cartridges, oil, and grease were recycled
responsibly, according to Enel.
Solar-powered lights were used during
construction, and a solar photovoltaic
system was designed for use by the permanent
operations building.
" The construction of High Lonesome
was completed in alignment with Enel
Green Power's Sustainable Construction
Site model, which is a framework
aimed at minimizing the impact of plant
September 2021 | POWER
construction on the environment, waste,
water and people, " said San Martin.
Enel noted that drones were used for
road surveys and for monitoring the progress
of construction. The company said
the " ARC GIS application was utilized to
quickly
transmit
information
between
workers, " and a " 360-degree camera
was utilized to record construction activities. "
It said iPads were used by workers
in the field to access drawings and other
construction-related documents, in part
to reduce the amount of paper waste.
Innovative PPA with Danone North
America
The past several years have seen a
surge in the number of businesses
transitioning
their
electricity
supply
to 100% renewable energy through
corporate PPAs. At High Lonesome,
the traditional virtual power purchase
agreement is taken a step further with
food and beverage company Danone
North America. In 2019, Enel Green
Power and Danone North America designed
a customized PPA for the physical
delivery of the renewable electricity
associated with 20.6 MW of the wind
farm, enabling the food and beverage
company to sustainably power its production
facilities in Texas.
The agreement between Enel and
Danone North America will provide
enough electricity to produce the
equivalent of almost 800 million cups
of yogurt, and more than 80 million
gallons of milk each year, and support
the food and beverage company's
commitment to securing 100% of its
purchased electricity from renewable
sources by 2030.
" Transitioning our Texas plants to a
physical delivery PPA was especially important
to us as we strive to change the
game when it comes to fostering positive
solutions for the planet. We strongly
believe that the health of our planet
and our people are inextricably linked
so, as we work to further our mission of
bringing health through food to as many
people as possible, we're delighted to
be working with Enel Green Power to
expand its High Lonesome wind farm
and grow the renewable electricity infrastructure
here in the U.S., " said Marc
De Schutter, head of Procurement for
Danone North America.
Community Support
Supporting the local community has
been a major part of the project, bringing
important resources to the McCamey
www.powermag.com
POWER POINTS
Winning Attributes
✔ With 164 turbines, the High
Lonesome wind farm is one of
the largest wind projects in Enel
Green Power's global renewable
portfolio. The installation will avoid
more than 1.2 million tons of CO2
emissions per year.
✔ High Lonesome is part of the
solution to improve grid reliability in
Texas. A 57-MW lithium-ion battery
system under construction at the
plant will add flexibility to respond
to electricity demand.
✔ High Lonesome represents Enel
Green Power's commitment to
the state of Texas. The project is
expected to generate more than $75
million in tax revenue for the state
over its lifetime, is providing $90
million in lease payments to local
landowners, and created about 800
jobs during construction.
area as part of its financial commitment
to the region.
" The money that Enel gave to us will
provide us several pieces of much-needed
equipment. It will definitely help the
wellness center to continue to be able to
provide the services we do for the community, "
said Lucy Johnson, Wellness
Center Director for the McCamey Hospital
District, in a testimonial on the Enel
Green Power website.
Enel has plans to bring more renewable
energy projects online in the next
decade, adding to an impressive portfolio
worldwide. The company in November
2020 announced it expects to triple its
global capacity from renewable sources,
reaching around 145 GW of installed capacity
by 2030. Currently, Enel has about
50 GW of wind, solar, geothermal, and
hydropower plants across the globe.
And North America will continue to
be an important area for the Rome, Italy-headquartered
company. " As part of
its three-year strategic plan announced
in November 2020, Enel Green Power
is planning to bring an additional 3 GW
of renewable capacity online in North
America by
2023, " said San Martin.
" Wind will make up a substantial portion
of this growth. " ■
-Darrell Proctor is a senior associate
editor for POWER.
27
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POWER September 2021

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