State environmental officials OK massive battery-storage system in Everett

Banker & Tradesman reports state environmental officials have given the OK for a $500-million, 700-MW battery-storage facility for energy from offshore wind farms on what is now a series of abandoned oil tanks along the Everett waterfront - the first part of a redevelopment plan by the Davis Cos. that would also include new housing and office space.

The proposed Everett Docklands storage plant, which still requires changes in state energy laws, would be the largest in the Boston area. Another company is seeking to build smaller lithium-ion storage plants in Chelsea and Brighton.

Davis is planning to use roughly 20 of the 86 acres in the former tank farm for construction of the new battery building.

Before construction, Davis will first have to cover those 20 acres with roughly 700,000 cubic yards of fill, in part to raise the level of the site above possible future flooding from rising seas and more intense storms.

The batteries that would then be installed on the site would be able to output up to 700 MW of electricity.

[T]he facility will store excess high-voltage electricity produced when spikes occur at renewable energy generating facilities and at times when demand is lower than the available electricity. Energy stored at the facility will then be released to the grid at times of high demand via an underground transmission cable connected to Eversource Substation. ...

The facility will include two sections, one located north of Beacham Street and the other south of Beacham Street. It will include two open-air substations, both of which will cover an area of approximately 90,000 sf (2.1 acres); a 5,000-sf warehouse building for storage of equipment; an 800-sf office building for personnel operating the facility; battery cells grouped together in containers; power control system units; and inverters. Each section will be surrounded by a 2-ft thick wall ranging in height from 10 feet to 40 feet. The BESS will be linked to the Eversource Substation 250 on Alford Street in Boston via two electrical circuits in a 2,900-ft long underground conduit. The conduit will be constructed under existing streets along a route following Beacham Street, Dexter Street, Robin Street, and Alford Street.

Complete approval letter (6.6M PDF).