Eni to Acquire Stake in Two Solar Farms, BESS Project in California

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Eni to Acquire Stake in Two Solar Farms, BESS Project in California

Eni SpA has signed an agreement to acquire a 49 percent stake in a portfolio of EDP Renewables projects comprising two operational photovoltaic facilities and an under-construction battery energy storage system (BESS) project in California. Sandrini 1, designed to produce up to 100 megawatts of alternating current (MWac) and 141 MW of direct current (MWdc), […]

Sandrini 1, designed to produce up to 100 megawatts of alternating current (MWac) and 141 MW of direct current (MWdc), and Sandrini 2 (200 MWac and 266 MWdc) share the same grid infrastructure with the Sandrini BESS facility (368 megawatt hours).

Of the three plants’ total capacity of about 499 MWdc, Italian state-backed energy major Eni, through its renewable energy arm Eni Plenitude SpA Società Benefit, will have a share of 245 MWdc. That will raise Eni’s total installed capacity in the United States to 1.7 gigawatts, according to Eni.

The solar farms’ combined capacity is enough for over 76,000 homes a year, according to EDP Renewables.

“Through this transaction we position ourselves in the California market, one of the most relevant for the development of renewables, further diversifying Plenitude presence in the United States and confirming our commitment to invest in electric storage systems”, Plenitude chief executive Stefano Goberti said in an online statement.

Sandrini 1 and Sandrini 2 each have a 15-year power purchase agreement with the Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA) and Shell Energy North America, as announced by EDP Renewables January 7.

“Power from Sandrini II will provide over a third of the total annual electric need for customers of RCEA’s community choice energy program”, EDP Renewables said.

“RCEA is one of 25 community choice aggregators (CCA) now serving communities in California”, it added. “Sandrini II adds to 8,000 MW of new clean energy resources brought online to date by California’s CCAs.

“An additional 10,000 MW of new clean resources are in contract with these CCAs and are currently under development or construction”.

Eni’s acquisition needs to hurdle approvals required by law, Eni said.

Earlier this month Eni said it had completed construction for the 200-MW Guajillo plant in Webb County, Texas, its biggest BESS facility.

Equipped with lithium-ion LFP batteries, the facility is set to start commercial operation by mid-2025.

“The plant was built right next to one of Plenitude’s largest operating solar farms, Corazon Solar Farm, also to maximize operational synergies and consolidate the company’s presence in the area, where it operates on about 800 hectares site”, Eni said January 13.

“Guajillo will play an important role in stabilizing the local power grid, contributing to the efficiency of the entire region’s power system, which is experiencing a very strong growth in electricity generation from renewable sources”, it added.

Patrick Monino, head of Plenitude Renewables North America and managing director of Eni New Energy U.S., said, “Large lithium-ion batteries are a rapidly expanding technology, enabling an increasing penetration of renewable energies in electrical systems”.

Last year Eni’s installed generation capacity from renewable sources rose to four GW, a goal it outlined in its 2024–27 plan published March 14, 2024. That is thanks to about 400 MW added in Spain, which now hosts 950 MW of Plenitude’s renewables capacity.

A further 820 MW is under construction in Spain, expected to be completed 2025 and 2026, Eni said in a statement January 7, 2025.

Globally, Eni through Plenitude plans to reach over eight GW of installed RE capacity by 2027, and 15 GW by 2030.

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