Gateway Grid Battery Farm passes BOS but with conditions
A battery farm would eventually be placed on 49.9 acres across from Simmons Drive near the Appalachian Power Company’s (AEP) substation if the developer’s plans move forward as expected. The Board of Supervisors approved the project, with conditions, at its Tuesday August 22, 2023 meeting. The meeting was held at the Botetourt County Administration Building at Greenfield in Amsterdam.
The project, called Gateway Grid, is a stand-alone battery energy storage system (BESS) project that would connect with the adjacent AEP 230kV transmission lines. Gateway Grid’s project is near an intersection of high-voltage transmission lines that allows the energy storage facility to provide large amounts of power when load requires it and to serve a broad region.
Gateway Grid is a 100MW / 400MWh battery energy storage system and an ancillary new electric substation. It will be located on the north side of Lee Highway, in between Lee Highway and Interstate 81.
The project is designed to utilize lithium-ion batteries, which will be housed in approximately 144 above ground enclosures. The project site would utilize approximately 14 acres, with the remainder being used for storm water runoff and as a site line buffer.
The energy storage facility would be a fenced, unmanned facility used to modulate energy on the grid.
Certain equipment such as utility poles and lightning masts within the project substation could be as tall as 60 feet, but project documents indicate that trees should keep the project mostly hidden from public view.
The facility would pull power off the grid at times of overabundance to store it and would dispatch this power at peak times or whenever needed. Typically, power would be sold in the wholesale energy market or to the local utility. At times, energy storage facilities are acquired and owned by the local utility.
The project would be designed in strict conformance with all relevant codes and standards to ensure it is constructed and operated in a manner that remains safe to the public, emergency responders, and operators. This includes a series of redundant safeguards built into the hardware and management system to mitigate the risk of fire.
Once operational, which is not expected to happen for at least a year or more, energy storage facilities do not generate traffic. They are remotely controlled and monitored 24-7, and individuals would visit the site periodically for routine maintenance. The energy storage facility would not result in any emissions and would not require potable water or sewer service.
One citizen spoke at the Supervisors’ public hearing and asked about water pollution and fire suppression. The company plans to meet with the county’s emergency service leaders to implement a fire plan when the facility is under construction. A company spokesman said that should a battery catch fire, generally the battery is allowed to burn itself out, and water is not considered a good fire suppressant for an electrical type fire.
Since the site is unmanned and the batteries use no liquid, storm water runoff into Tinker Creek should not be an issue, a company spokesman said.
— Anita Firebaugh, Special to The Botetourt Bee
