X-ELIO breaks ground on its first U.S. storage project The 60-MWh Texas storage installation will be paired with 72 MW of solar power.

On April 26, X-ELIO held a groundbreaking ceremony for its 72-MW Liberty Solar Plant and 60-MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Project, located in both Liberty and Harris Counties, Texas.

X-ELIO’s Liberty 1 Solar Plant is expected to be operational by early 2024 and will generate 137 GWh of clean energy per year, while creating more than 125 construction jobs. Chemical manufacturer BASF entered a 12-year PPA with X-ELIO to purchase 48-MW of solar power from this installation.

The BESS project, co-located with the solar plant, is the company’s largest industrial battery project to-date and its first in the U.S. It will provide a reliable and cost-effective means of storing renewable energy on-site. X-ELIO will invest a total of $136.7 million in the combined projects.

The event featured the participation of X-ELIO’s Country Manager for the US, Kerri Neary; the Harris County Office of County Administration’s Director of Sustainability, Lisa Lin; Senior Vice President and Site Manager for the BASF site in Freeport, Brad Morrison; and local community representatives.

During the event, the company also announced three local X-ELIO Community Plan Program initiatives. Funding recipients included: The dWelling, a local wellness and community-building organization, to establish community gardens; The Liberty River Trade Food Bank, to build a drainage system for this local industrial-sized food distribution facility; and a marketing and content project with Meals On Wheels, to facilitate the organization’s outreach, raise awareness, and attract volunteers as it focuses on caring for individuals whose diminished mobility makes it difficult to shop for food, prepare meals, or socialize with others. The company also announced ongoing conversations and initiatives with three other associations in the Harris County Area expected to be closed and celebrated shortly.

“I am very excited to see industry vanguards like BASF and X-ELIO collaborate together on deploying clean energy developments locally,” said Lisa Lin, director of sustainability for Harris County. “It mirrors the renewable energy initiatives that Harris County is considering, and we want to learn from their leadership. These projects are good for the environment, create jobs and drive the local economy.”

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