AES and Siemens are combining their efforts to launch new energy storage startup called Fluence Energy and compete with Tesla Energy in the fast-growing, new energy storage industry.

The new company is off to a strong start as the supplier of the soon-to-be new world’s largest lithium-ion battery-based storage project.

Today, the company announced that they received “all government approvals and authorizations and the launch of business operations on January 1, 2018.”

Stephen Coughlin, president and CEO of Fluence, commented on the launch:

“We continue to believe in and deliver on the promise of energy storage to reduce costs, improve power systems, and create a more sustainable future. However, we saw customers struggling to find a trusted technology partner with deep knowledge of the power sector and the ability to deliver an industrial grade solution they could count on to be there in the future. With a team drawn from both Siemens and AES, we are fluent in the power sector and bring the capabilities, global reach and experience to make sure our customers achieve the full value of storage.”

Fluence will become the supplier of AES’ Alamitos power center energy storage project in Long Beach, California serving Southern California Edison and the Western Los Angeles area.

The 100 MW/400 MWh is expected to become the biggest in the world – beating Tesla’s 100 MW/ 129 MWh project in South Australia in energy storage capacity and reaching parity with Tesla’s power capacity record.

The new startup listed some of its energy storage features in a press release:

Bankable, proven and industrial-strength technology platforms optimized for different customer needs, including speed of response, long-term dependability and integration with other power resources;

A comprehensive set of services and warranties covering the entire energy storage journey, from early-stage commercial analytics through the full operations and maintenance life-cycle of a project;

The broadest set of energy storage grid applications including power generation, transmission and distribution alternatives, renewable energy integration, and commercial and industrial applications;

Full turn-key installation and support services in more than 160 countries, tailored to meet specific needs and conditions; and

A suite of financing packages through a new partnership with Siemens Financial Services, including leasing and project finance options.

AES and Siemens claim that the new startup instantly became the new world leader in energy storage with “nearly 500 MW deployed or awarded across 15 countries.”

Electrek’s Take

It truly looks like AES and Siemens have created a new powerhouse in the energy storage space. It is sure to create some interesting competition, which is generally always good to push an industry forward.

With this said, I’m not sure about their claim of having the biggest portfolio of deployed and awarded energy storage projects. Tesla is now deploying about 100 MWh of energy storage per quarter.

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