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One of World’s Largest Energy Storage Plants Launches in South Dakota
The first commercial Antora thermal storage plant will supply POET with reliable wind power and could cut ethanol costs while supporting 300 jobs, officials said.
On Monday, South Dakota-based POET and Antora Energy launched a 5 gigawatt-hour thermal energy storage system adjacent to the POET ethanol plant in Big Stone City.
Antora Energy CEO Andrew Ponec selected Big Stone City for its position as a major hub on the MISO power grid, where concentrations of energy users exist. He likened the system to a giant toaster that stores wind energy as heat in carbon blocks.
Construction supported 300 jobs in South Dakota and California, while the system stores energy in carbon blocks reaching 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit to power POET's 92 million gallon annual ethanol facility.
Jeff Lautt, president and chief operating officer of POET, said the system captures excess wind energy that would otherwise be wasted, creating what he called a "win-win-win" that reduces natural gas usage.