A mix of energy solutions is needed for Nova Scotia to meet provincial and federal environmental targets, which include getting off coal and reaching 80% renewables by 2030.
To help us reach these goals, we are proposing three new 50MW/4-hour grid-scale battery facilities located in Bridgewater, the Valley, and Halifax Regional Municipality.
Batteries and other energy storage technologies are essential in our move towards more renewable electricity. As our province introduces more wind capacity and investigates the future potential of hydrogen sources, additional energy storage is needed to ensure energy is there when Nova Scotians need it and to increase reliability for customers.
Our project team has been working with stakeholders and engaging communities as preliminary planning continues for the proposed facilities. On January 25, 2024, we filed the proposed project with the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board, seeking approval for the capital costs required to develop the grid-scale battery facilities.
If approved, construction on the proposed sites will begin in 2024 and continue through 2026, with the first site operational by 2025.
Our proposed grid-scale battery facilities will have various functions that will benefit the grid throughout the clean energy transition. These benefits include:
These grid services are central to the safe and reliable operation of the transmission system and currently are largely provided by NS Power’s existing coal units. The ability of a utility-operated battery energy storage system to provide these services will contribute to the further integration of renewables onto the grid in a safe, cost-effective, and less carbon-intensive manner.
Note: This is a generic rendering of a typical grid-scale battery facility. The layout of containers may differ in the future constructed project.
We are committed to being the first and best source of information for community members and stakeholders about our proposed battery projects. Community and stakeholder engagement started early in our planning stages and is continuing throughout the development and implementation of the proposed sites.
To date, our project team has engaged with key stakeholders and hosted community open houses in each of the three communities we’re working in. Identified communities and stakeholders include:
Are we missing a community group or stakeholder that you think should be on the list? Email us at cleanenergyfuture@nspower.ca with your suggestion.
"Anything that gets Nova Scotia off fossil fuel is a beautiful thing!"
"The first major concern is the sourcing of materials, like lithium. My concerns are environmental, the ethical treatment of communities and people, and proper pricing." – Bridgewater Customer
"This is a really neat project! Once they're built, there should be public tours."
Proposed Grid-Scale Battery Facility: Bridgewater
Our proposed grid-scale battery site is located near our substation, off King Street in the Town of Bridgewater. This location is ideal for the battery facility as it is adjacent to the existing infrastructure needed to charge and distribute energy throughout
the grid. The proposed site is next to 138 kV transmission lines, necessary to transport the electricity from the batteries. The existing substation will convert distributed electricity to different voltages.
As part of early construction
and site preparedness for the proposed battery facility, we will be building a new access driveway to the substation. The new access will enter off Upper Branch Road in the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg and will be used by Nova Scotia
Power staff and contractors to access the substation and battery facility for routine maintenance and monitoring.
Community Engagement
We are committed to working collaboratively with the communities we’re working
in and engaging stakeholders throughout the planning, development, and operation of our proposed grid-scale battery facilities.
In Bridgewater, our team continues to engage and inform key stakeholders and community members through meetings,
presentations, mail-outs, and open houses. We encourage you to engage with our team, ask questions, and provide feedback by getting in touch with us at cleanenergyfuture@nspower.ca.
Community Open Houses
Our team hosted a community open house at the Lunenburg County Lifestyle Centre on October 14, 2023. We talked with over 40 community members about the proposed project and shared information on the current planning.
Common questions
from community members included:
We’ve included the responses to these questions in our FAQ section below.
If our proposed project receives approval from the Utility and Review Board, our team looks forward to hosting another community open house once construction begins
on the site.
Existing Outreach Materials
April 2023
Update meeting with Mayor Mitchell and CAO Tammy Crowder to share proposed project location, size, and other project details.
June 2023
July
2023
Letter sent to Bridgewater Fire Department's Chief Nauss informing them of the proposed project and requesting future meetings and engagements.
August 2023
Meeting with MLA Becky Druhan to provide details of the
proposed project and an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback.
September 2023
Meeting with Energize Bridgewater to provide details of the proposed project and an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback.
October 2023
November 2023
Bridgewater
and area community leaders meeting held at the DesBrisay Museum.
December 2023
Initial meeting with Bridgewater Fire Department members to discuss the proposed project overview.
Proposed Grid-Scale Battery Facility: Waverley
Our proposed grid-scale battery site is located near our substation, off Waverley Road in the Halifax Regional Municipality. This location is ideal for the battery facility as it is adjacent to exiting infrastructure needed to charge and distribute energy
throughout the grid. The proposed site is next to 138 kV transmission lines, necessary to transport the electricity from the batteries, and the existing substation will convert distributed electricity to different voltages.
Community Engagement
We are committed to working collaboratively with the communities we’re working in and engaging stakeholders throughout the planning, development and operation of our proposed grid-scale battery facilities.
In Waverley, our team continues to engage and inform key stakeholders and community members through meetings, presentations, mail-outs, and open houses. We encourage you to engage with our team, ask questions, and provide feedback by getting in touch with us at cleanenergyfuture@nspower.ca.
Community Open Houses
Our team hosted a community open house at the Royal Canadian Legion in Waverley on October 18, 2023. We talked with over 50 community members about the proposed project and shared information on the current planning.
Common questions from community members included:
We’ve included the responses to these questions in our FAQ section.
If our proposed project receives approval from the Utility and Review Board, our team looks forward to hosting another community open house once construction begins on the site.
Community Outreach Materials
May 2023
June 2023
Letters sent to MLA Brian Wong and MP Darrell Samson informing them of the proposed project.
July 2023
August 2023
Community members informational mail-out sent to residents living within one kilometer of the proposed facility site.
September 2023
Presentation to HRM's Environment and Sustainability Standing Committee about the proposed project.
October 2023
December 2023
Initial meeting with HRM Fire Department members to discuss the proposed project overview.
Our proposed grid-scale battery site is located near our substation on White Rock Road in the Municipality of the County of Kings. This location is ideal for the battery facility as it is adjacent to exiting infrastructure needed to charge and distribute
energy throughout the grid. The proposed site is next to 138 kV transmission lines, necessary to transport the electricity from the batteries, and the existing substation will convert distributed electricity to different voltages.
Community Engagement
We are committed to working collaboratively with the communities we’re working in and engaging stakeholders throughout the planning, development and operation of our proposed grid-scale battery facilities.
In White Rock, our team continues to engage and inform key stakeholders and community members through meetings, presentations, mail-outs, and open houses. We encourage you to engage with our team, ask questions, and provide feedback by getting in touch with us at cleanenergyfuture@nspower.ca.
Community Open Houses
Our team hosted a community Open House at the White Rock Community Centre on October 30, 2023. We talked with over 90 community members about the proposed project and shared information on the current planning.
Common questions from community members included:
We’ve included the responses to these questions in our FAQ section.
If our proposed project receives approval from the Utility and Review Board, our team looks forward to hosting another community open house once construction begins on the site.
Community Outreach Materials
April 2023
Meeting with Mayor Muttart and CAO Scott Conrad to discuss proposed project details and opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback.
June 2023
Letters sent to MLA Keith Irving and MP Kody Blois informing of project location and details.
August 2023
October 2023
November 2023
Outreach to Deputy Mayor Emily Lutz and Councillor Peter Allen providing information about the proposed project and recent open house.
December 2023
Initial meeting with members of Greenwich Fire Department discussing the proposed project overview.
For the size and capacity of our proposed energy storage facilities, the lowest cost commercially available technology is lithium-ion batteries.
Our proposed battery facilities will be charged from the sources of energy generation connected to the NS Power transmission grid and in operation at the time charging is taking place. As we approach 2030, and more renewables are added to the grid, our systems will be charged with the excess renewable energy that is available. This renewable generation does not need to be adjacent to the proposed battery sites, as these systems will be grid-integrated.
Safety is our number one priority in any of the work we do. The development and operation of these proposed battery facilities is no different.
The battery containers will be equipped with thermal management systems that regulate the system’s temperatures and prevent overheating. Each container also has fire protection features and the facilities will be monitored 24/7 from our control centre.
In the rare event that a container overheating leads to a fire, the spacing of containers and gravel ground cover—similar to the type in existing substations—is designed to prevent any additional containers or areas adjacent to the container from being impacted.
We are committed to working closely with local fire departments and our battery vendor on the development of an Emergency Response Plan and providing members with the necessary training and resources. Our project team has begun early consultation with local fire departments in each community and we will continue to work with members throughout the development and operation of the proposed battery sites.
The batteries themselves do not produce noise. The facility components must have HVAC systems in each enclosure along with power systems equipment, like transformers and inverters, similar to existing substations. Noise reduction strategies were included when selecting locations and considering layouts to reduce the overall impact on nearby residents. Sound level testing will be completed once the facility is operational.
Technology for recycling batteries is evolving as more and more energy storage systems are commissioned. There is an existing recycling and salvage industry in North America for electronics, including batteries, and we expect this industry to only grow over time with further adoption of electric vehicles and other projects utilizing lithium-ion batteries.
Today, many metals that are included in the batteries are recycled, as they hold their value beyond the life of the battery.
The project design life of the proposed grid-scale batteries is 20 years. Regular inspections and maintenance of the systems will occur throughout the operation of the facility.
The batteries need to be located close to existing infrastructure for ease of connecting to the NS Power transmission system. This provides access to energy from renewable resources anywhere in the system.
These potential sites have been chosen because:
The sites are adjacent to the 138 kV transmission system, necessary to transport electricity from renewable sources.
Nearby substations to each proposed site are needed to convert distributed electricity to different voltages.
Distribution across the province for grid and localized community benefits.
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