Vale to Install Brazil’s Largest Battery Storage System

This article first appeared on the BNEF mobile app and the Bloomberg Terminal.

  • Tesla Megapack system to be deployed at port facility
  • Vale to cut energy costs through industrial ‘peak shaving’

Brazilian mining giant Vale is partnering with Siemens and MicroPower Comerc on a 5MW/10MWh lithium-ion battery system at a large port facility in Rio de Janeiro.

Featuring the first Tesla Megapacks deployed in Brazil, Vale’s system will be owned and operated by MicroPower Comerc. Its use for industrial ‘peak shaving,’ will save Vale money by capping substantial demand charges that heavy electricity users in the state incur during peak hours.

The project will be Brazil’s largest battery energy storage system and is a significant step for the country’s power market. Though a clean energy pioneer with nearly 20GW of commissioned wind and solar capacity, Brazil’s energy storage market is virtually non-existent, hamstrung by high import taxes and a lack of supportive policy.

The system will charge when demand is low and discharge during periods of peak demand. Vale’s project aligns with a global trend of miners pursuing ambitious decarbonization goals and unprecedented growth in the procurement of clean energy.

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