COLDWATER TWP., MI. — Jupiter Power President Andy Bowman, with representatives of Consumers Energy and Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, cut a ribbon at the 100-megawatt Tibbits Battery Storage project off North Michigan Avenue and State Road Wednesday, Sept. 17.
The Texas-based energy service firm put its $110 million lithium-ion power storage facility online in July.
Bowman said Jupiter currently operates 10 battery projects, totaling 2,400 megawatt-hours, with three more under construction, aiming for nearly 3,000 megawatt-hours of capacity.
The Jupiter president explained that the demand for batteries is increasing due to the ability to store excess power generated overnight or during the day for use during peak demand.
Jupiter Vice President Tompall Glaser stated that three battery units, each in an individual container, are connected to a Power Control Station.
The site is designed for up to 40 containers.
Each shipping container-sized battery features six racks with seven modules, each holding between three and five megawatts per unit, for a total on-site capacity of 100 to 120 megawatts.
Staff can swap out extra units to maintain stable capacity and provide sufficient power to operate the system.
A water and recycled vegetable oil coolant circulates to maintain a temperature of 84 degrees in each unit. All battery clusters are 10 feet apart for safety.
Glaser said a test pushed a local battery to failure, monitoring it and those around with sensors. Temperatures “Never rose to a level where it would have put the adjacent containers into thermal runaway.”
Glaser said that because a chemical battery fire is not like a normal fire, local departments are trained at least annually on how to handle any fire on the property.
There are 31 cameras and other sensors monitored continually from the Austin-based firm’s control center.
Full-time site manager Noah DeLong and staff live in the area and are on site four to five days a week.
Glaser said with constant monitoring, “If we see something abnormal, out of precaution, we will stop the battery.” Staff will make repairs if a problem occurs or remove and replace the unit.
Glaser stated that the storage plant connects to the ITC grid through its own substation.
Jupiter selected the site to avoid interfering with other businesses and residential areas. The company purchased 70 acres but built only on seven acres north of State Road and between Michigan Avenue and I-69.
Consumers agreed to purchase power from the batteries in June 2024 as part of the company’s goal to reach 550 megawatts of power storage capacity by 2040.
Jupiter Power manages the battery’s connections to the grid. The company provides ancillary services to the power grid, which are essential for its proper operation.
Inside the high-security fenced area, you can hear a hum, similar to that of an electric grid substation, the only indication that the battery storage plant is operational.
Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: A look inside Jupiter Power’s Tibbits Battery Storage plant in Coldwater Township
Reporting by Don Reid, Coldwater Daily Reporter / Coldwater Daily Reporter
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