Imerys Partners with TotalEnergies for Solar+Storage System

Imerys, a supplier of mineral-based specialty solutions, is collaborating with TotalEnergies to install a large-scale solar power system paired with battery energy storage at its Lompoc facility in Santa Barbara County, Calif., as part of a long-term energy services contract.

TotalEnergies will install, maintain and operate an approximately 15 MW DC ground-mounted solar array and 7.5 MWh energy storage system under a 25-year power purchase and storage services agreement.

The Lompoc industrial site began its diatomite mining and processing operations in the 1890s. The new renewable power installation will cover 50% of the current electrical energy demand of the site.

“This project is a pivotal step to combat climate change and to manage the energy we buy in the region as we continue to invest and develop low-carbon products for our customers as well as extract and transform minerals responsibly and sustainably,” says Imerys’ Jim Murberger.

The TotalEnergies Distributed Generation USA team first engaged with Imerys to evaluate which of the company’s U.S. facilities offered the greatest viability for solar.

“We remain committed to helping Imerys achieve its sustainability goals with projects around the world, now with a focus on their U.S. operations,” says Eric Potts, managing director of TotalEnergies Distributed Generation USA.  

TotalEnergies currently has more than 1 GW of signed solar capacity, with more than 500 business and public agency customers worldwide. The deployment of this capacity is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.

The solar-plus-storage system at Imerys’ Lompoc site, which is expected to be fully operational in three years, features a ground-mounted single axis tracker solar PV system with bi-facial modules to maximize energy generation.