Holcim US and TotalEnergies Partner to Drive Clean Energy Services at Colorado Cement Plant
15-year Power Purchase and Storage Agreement drives large-scale solar power solution to propel Holcim's transition to 100 percent renewable US operations
Holcim US and TotalEnergies today announced their partnership to bring large-scale solar power and battery energy storage to Holcim's Portland cement plant in Florence, Colorado. In line with Holcim's pledge to power all of its US operations with 100 percent renewable energy by 2050, TotalEnergies will install, maintain and operate a 33 megawatt (MW) dc ground-mounted solar array and 38.5 MWh battery energy storage system at the factory.
"As we work to accelerate green growth across the United States, it's critical that we come to the table with partners who share similar goals around circularity and renewable energy," said Atl Martinez, VP of Procurement for Holcim North America. "This initiative with TotalEnergies demonstrates an ongoing determination to transform our operations and lower our carbon footprint. It's a milestone investment that will decrease our reliance on other sources of energy and shrink our utility costs through a powerful combination of clean energy and efficient operations."
The project's solar array will be optimized for maximum energy yield with single-axis solar trackers that follow the sun's movement through the day and high-performance bifacial solar panels that generate power on both the front and back sides. The energy storage system aims to reduce the factory's impact on the local utility grid, particularly during on-peak periods when regional demand for electricity is high.
The TotalEnergies solar-plus-storage solution is anticipated to reduce the plant's CO2 emissions by more than 40,000 tons annually1 and offset over 40 percent of its current energy demand. Holcim will receive roughly 71,000 MWh of clean power from the project per year under a Power Purchase and Storage Services Agreement ("PPSSA") with a minimum term of 15 years.
"TotalEnergies applauds Holcim's strong track record of sustainability leadership in the energy-intensive building materials industry, and we are proud to serve as their energy transformation partner," commented Eric Potts, Managing Director, TotalEnergies Distributed Generation USA. "Our team looks forward to leveraging our expertise in on-site renewable energy solutions as we support Holcim's transition to 100 percent renewable operations in the U.S."
Operations of the renewable energy system are expected to begin in 2025.
TotalEnergies and renewables electricity
As part of its ambition to get to net zero by 2050, TotalEnergies is building a portfolio of activities in electricity and renewables. At the end of 2022, TotalEnergies' gross renewable electricity generation installed capacity was 17 GW. TotalEnergies will continue to expand this business to reach 35 GW of gross production capacity from renewable sources and storage by 2025, and then 100 GW by 2030 with the objective of being among the world's top 5 producers of electricity from wind and solar energy.
About TotalEnergies
TotalEnergies is a global multi-energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity. Our more than 100,000 employees are committed to energy that is ever more affordable, cleaner, more reliable and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in more than 130 countries, TotalEnergies puts sustainable development in all its dimensions at the heart of its projects and operations to contribute to the well-being of people.