US developer switches on largest solar-plus-storage project in Puerto Rico
Depcom Power has commissioned the Ciro One project, a 90 MW (AC) solar facility in Puerto Rico, along with a 51.5 MW battery energy storage system (BESS). The US-based engineering company said it is currently the largest operational solar-plus-storage facility on the island.
Depcom Power built the plant with development partner Ciro Energy Group and local subcontractor Lord Construction. The project is expected to begin operations at the end of this year. Depcom Power will operate and maintain the hybrid system for a period of five years.
The company said the BESS features a lithium titanate oxide (LTO) battery. It claimed that the use of LTO ensures a guaranteed system life of 25 years, surpassing the 20-year lifespan of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) technology.
It said the PV system is designed to resist hurricane-force winds. “The inverter technology includes salt fog filters to mitigate the effects of salinity on the system's power electronics,” said the company.
The installation owner will also use sheep to manage vegetation at the project site.
