TransAlta Corporation has filed its approval request to the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) to develop a 180 MW energy storage project that will be connected to the 51 MW Ghost Hydroelectric Dam in Cochrane, Canada.
The WaterCharger battery storage facility will store excess energy from the hydroelectric power plant when the demand is lower and discharge the stored energy to support the grid stability during peak or when the demand is high. The project can generate up to a maximum of 180 MW with the potential for two phases.
TransAlta has published an environmental evaluation, an environmental protection plan, and a noise impact assessment on the project to support its application to AUC. If approved, the construction works will start in March 2023 and will be operational before the first quarter of 2024. It will have approximately a 25-year lifecycle.
