X-ELIO Solar-Storage Farm Supplying 48 MW to BASF Manufacturing on Texas Gulf Coast

Renewable energy developer X-ELIO has launched commercial operations at a combined solar and battery storage project that helps power consumer goods manufacturing in south Texas.

The Liberty Energy Project in Dayton combines 72 MW of solar photovoltaic capacity with 60 MW of battery storage. All that power is designed to connect into industrial firm BASF’s Freeport plant which produces raw materials for consumer goods such as diapers, food packaging, paints, carpets, glue sticks and more.

“This project supports our long-term commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050 and reflects the kind of collaboration needed to build a cleaner, more resilient energy future,” said Brad Morrison, senior vice president and general manager at BASF Freeport, in a statement.

German-based global chemical products firm BASF founded the Freeport site in 1958 as its first manufacturing plant outside of Europe. BASF Freeport currently employs more than 800 people and produces nearly 30 different products.

BASF will source 48 MW of electricity from the project to help power its Freeport site as part of a 12-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) announced in 2022. Freeport is one of BASF’s six global Verbund sites, which involves manufacturing, raw materials and energy management.

For X-ELIO  this is its first combined solar and storage project in the United States.

“The Liberty Project represents a major step in our planned expansion in the U.S., a key market for X-ELIO,” said Lluís Noguera, Chairman and CEO at X-ELIO. “We are currently developing a pipeline of 2.8 GW of solar PV and 2.1 GW of storage projects to advance competitive energy solutions, support local communities, and power a growing American economy.”

X-ELIO is owned by private equity investor Brookfield. Earlier this year, the developer closed six U.S. power purchase agreements with companies including Cisco, IDEXX, Biogen and Waters Corp.