Holcim US, provider of innovative and sustainable building solutions, and TotalEnergies announced their partnership to deploy solar power and battery storage at scale at Holcim’s Portland Cement Plant in Florence, Colorado. TotalEnergies will install, maintain and operate a 33 MW DC ground-mounted solar array and a 38.5 MWh battery energy storage system at the facility.
The project uses high-performance bifacial solar panels in combination with single-axis solar trackers to maximize energy harvest. The integrated energy storage system helps reduce the impact of the facility’s energy consumption on the local utility grid, especially during peak periods.
Overall, TotalEnergies’ solution is expected to reduce the plant’s CO2 emissions by more than 40,000 tons per year and offset over 40% of current energy needs. Holcim will purchase around 71,000 MWh of clean electricity per year from the project as part of a Power Purchase and Storage Services Agreement (PPSSA) with a minimum term of 15 years.
Holcim has set a number of goals to increase its sustainability leadership and aims to power all US operations with 100% renewable energy by 2050.
“This initiative with TotalEnergies demonstrates our continued determination to transform our operations and reduce our carbon footprint. It is a milestone investment that will reduce our reliance on other energy sources and lower our operating costs through a powerful combination of clean energy and efficient operations,” said Atl Martinez, VP of Procurement for Holcim North America.
The project is scheduled to go into operation in 2025.