en.Wedoany.com Reported - e-STORAGE, the energy storage business unit of Canadian Solar, has secured a contract to deliver a 75 MW/381 MWh DC battery energy storage system (BESS) for the Coldwater energy storage project in Branch County, Michigan, developed by Apex Clean Energy. The system will be co-located with Apex's existing Coldwater solar facility, with delivery scheduled for early 2027 and commercial operation expected to begin in mid-2027.

The role of energy storage facilities is becoming increasingly prominent in the current energy landscape. Wind and solar facilities rely on specific weather conditions for power generation, presenting intermittency issues. Combining power generation with energy storage has become the primary technical approach to addressing this challenge.

e-STORAGE, a subsidiary of Canadian Solar, specializes in designing, manufacturing, and integrating battery energy storage systems for utility applications, offering proprietary battery energy storage solutions, EPC services, and innovative grid operation solutions.

Under the agreement, e-STORAGE will provide an integrated solution combining SolBank 3.0 battery blocks, power conversion systems, and e-STORAGE's proprietary EQ-S energy management system to form a coordinated utility-scale platform. The energy storage system will utilize lithium iron phosphate-based battery cells, with all battery packs manufactured at Canadian Solar's production facilities.

Michigan has recently achieved an operational capacity of over 2,600 MW across more than 70 solar farms. State law requires utilities to bring 2,500 MW of energy storage capacity online by 2030, and the state's largest coal-fired unit is scheduled for retirement by 2032. The Coldwater energy storage project is advancing within this policy context.

Jeff Roy, President of e-STORAGE, stated: "Michigan is rebuilding its generation structure on a fixed timeline, and this collaboration demonstrates how that goal translates into reliable capacity on the ground. By providing batteries, power conversion, and our EQ-S control system as an integrated system, we become Apex's sole reliable technology partner throughout the entire project lifecycle."

Since its founding in 2001, Canadian Solar has grown into a manufacturer of solar photovoltaic modules and a provider of solar and battery energy storage solutions.