Engie is gaining momentum in the United States

"Since the beginning of 2024, the group has added approximately 1 GW of new capacity," bringing to 1,8 GW the total capacity of its portfolio of battery storage systems in operation in the country, mainly in California and Texas, Engie said in a press release.

In July, the total capacity of battery systems in the United States stood at 20,7 GW, according to data from the EIA, the National Center for Energy Statistics, published on September 5. Based on these figures, Engie accounts for around 8,7% of this capacity, with stand-alone batteries or batteries installed in solar parks.

This new step, accelerated by the acquisition of sector leader Broad Reach Power (BRP) in August 2023, confirms "its rapid growth in battery energy storage systems to meet the needs of the network", Engie commented in the press release.

It also allows Engie to strengthen its position as "leader of the energy transition in the United States" where the group is present with solar and wind projects. A total of 8 GW are currently in operation or under construction in the country and in Canada, to which are added 24 battery projects commissioned or in the final phase of construction across the United States.

Along with wind and solar, batteries are one of the strategic priorities of the group, a historic gas supplier in France resulting from the GDF-Suez merger, which diversified into low-carbon energies a few years ago. On a global scale, it hopes to reach 10 GW of installed battery capacity worldwide by 2030.

Batteries make it possible to meet the need for flexibility linked to the rise in renewable energies, which are intermittent by nature, by reinjecting electricity produced by wind turbines and solar power plants into the grid. They offer a low-carbon alternative to gas or fuel oil power plants, which are still very popular around the world for their ability to respond flexibly to variations in electricity demand.

"Flexibility" installations such as batteries will be "essential to the stabilisation of networks which will not be able, at least not all of them, to be modernised in time and at low cost to be able to accept these new electrical capacities" from wind and solar power, explained to AFP Sébastien Arbola, executive vice-president in charge of "flexibility" activities at Engie.