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Duke Energy has initiated the commercial operation of its 11-MW battery system in Onslow County, North Carolina. This marks the largest battery project in the state. The battery system will work together with a 13-MW solar facility located on a leased site within Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, which has been generating carbon-free energy since 2015.
Duke Energy’s Battery System
U.S. Navy Cmdr. Ross Campbell, the director of public works at MCB Camp Lejeune, expressed that the installation’s partnership with Duke Energy Progress through an enhanced use lease has enabled a significant investment in energy security within the base. Campbell stated that combining the solar plant with a battery energy storage system was previously unimaginable, but it now provides the installation with numerous opportunities to achieve its energy resilience goals.
These systems are part of the ongoing collaboration with the Department of Defense and its utility providers to ensure energy security at federal facilities. The battery system uses lithium iron phosphate chemistry, has a rating of 11-MW/11-MWh, and covers about one acre of land. Black & Veatch construction entity OCI served as the primary contractor for engineering, procurement, and construction.
Duke Energy has been increasing its battery storage in North Carolina in recent years, including a 9-MW lithium-ion battery system next to a Duke Energy substation in Asheville’s Shiloh community and a 4-MW lithium-ion battery system that is part of a microgrid in Hot Springs in Madison County. Duke Energy intends to have over 1,600 MW of battery storage in service by 2029. The company’s regulated utilities are currently operating about 90 MW of battery energy storage projects across three states.
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