TotalEnergies, a global energy company, has announced the commencement of operations at Myrtle Solar, a solar farm located south of Houston, Texas.
With a remarkable capacity of 380 megawatts peak (MWp) of solar production and 225 MWh of co-located batteries, Myrtle Solar is set to redefine the renewable energy landscape in the United States.
Myrtle Solar boasts an impressive array of 705,000 ground-mounted photovoltaic panels covering an area equivalent to 1,800 American football fields. This vast solar installation will generate clean, green electricity capable of powering the equivalent consumption of 70,000 homes, marking a significant step towards a sustainable energy future.
Notably, 70 percent of Myrtle’s capacity will be dedicated to supplying green electricity to TotalEnergies’ industrial plants in the U.S. Gulf Coast region. This initiative forms an integral part of TotalEnergies’ “Go Green” Project, designed to meet the power needs and curtail the Scope 1+2 emissions of its industrial sites in Port Arthur and La Porte in Texas, and Carville in Louisiana by 2025.
The remaining 30 percent of Myrtle’s capacity will be allocated to Kilroy Realty, a publicly traded real estate company, through a 15-year corporate power purchase agreement (CPPA) indexed on merchant prices. Originally developed by a joint venture of SunChase Power and Eolian, L.P. (Eolian), the Myrtle project was acquired by TotalEnergies in 2021, reinforcing its commitment to sustainable energy solutions.
In addition to the photovoltaic installations, Myrtle Solar incorporates state-of-the-art battery energy storage equipment, designed to address grid stabilization needs. This storage infrastructure boasts a total capacity of 225 MWh, comprised of 114 high-tech Energy Storage Systems (ESS) containers developed and assembled by TotalEnergies’ affiliate, Saft, known for its cutting-edge industrial batteries.
Benefiting from the IRA (Inflation Reduction Act) Tax Credit mechanisms, the Myrtle project aligns with TotalEnergies’ Integrated Power’s profitability target of 12 percent, contributing positively to the company’s sustainable energy portfolio.
TotalEnergies in the United States is making substantial strides in renewable energy with 25 GW of operated and non-operated solar and wind projects, storage solutions, and trading activities across more than 30 states. Furthermore, TotalEnergies holds the distinction of being the number one U.S. exporter of LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas).
In 2022, TotalEnergies generated over 33 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity and boasted a gross renewable electricity generation installed capacity of 17 GW. The company is committed to expanding its power generation to surpass 100 TWh by 2030, aiming to rank among the world’s top 5 producers of electricity from wind and solar energy.