Infraestructura Energética Nova S.A.B. de C.V. (IEnova) and International Finance Corporation (IFC) have joined forces to develop the Volta de Mexicali (VDM) Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) facility in Mexicali, Mexico, as well as in the development of IEnova’s Sustainability-Linked Finance Framework.
The 100 MW VMD BESS project would be connected to the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) electric grid via an IEnova-owned cross-border transmission line. Energy stored in batteries is expected to be delivered to the CAISO grid, as a firm, dispatchable resource, providing essential electricity reliability services to the local area.
The project is expected to promote resiliency and further the deployment of renewable energy in what is expected to become an increasingly integrated cross-border system. VDM will be developed in phases, starting with 100 MW, with a potential of up to 500 MW of capacity. The first phase could reach the Final Investment Decision as early as the first half of 2022 and commercial operation in mid-2023.
