Renewable energy producer Boralex has commissioned the 80-megawatt/320-megawatt-hour Sanjgon battery energy storage facility in Ontario, marking its first operational energy storage project in North America, the company said.
Boralex said the project, developed in partnership with Walpole Island First Nation, represents a key milestone in its 2030 strategy and its expansion into large-scale battery storage.
The facility, previously known as the Tilbury project, is equipped with 89 Megapack 2XL units and is capable of delivering four hours of full-power output to the provincial electricity grid.
Under a community benefit agreement, the Municipality of Lakeshore will receive annual payments of C$1,000 per megawatt to support local initiatives, the company said.
Boralex added that the commissioning of Sanjgon, together with the planned Hagersville battery project, will lift its total installed battery storage capacity in Canada to 380 MW.
“We are pleased to reach this major milestone for the Sanjgon Battery Energy Storage facility and our community,” Leela Thomas, chief of Walpole Island First Nation, said in a statement.
Lesley Gallinger, president and chief executive of Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator, said the project highlights collaboration across sectors. “The Sanjgon Battery Energy Storage project is an example of how we are working with Indigenous communities, municipalities, private industry and government to build out the province’s electricity system,” she said.
Lakeshore mayor Tracey Bailey said hosting the project was a point of pride for the municipality.
“The commissioning of the Sanjgon Battery Energy Storage Park marks a pivotal moment in our journey toward a more flexible, resilient and affordable energy system,” Patrick Decostre, president and chief executive of Boralex, said.
Robin Deveaux, executive vice president and general manager for North America at Boralex, added that the project demonstrated the company’s ability to deliver infrastructure rooted in local partnerships.
