2-MW energy storage facility up and running in Ontario

MINTO, Ont.—Commercial operations are underway at a two-megawatt energy storage facility in southwestern Ontario, marking the opening of Canada’s first grid-connected commercial flywheel facility.

Ontario Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli was on hand in Minto, Ont., north of Guelph, to announce the launch of operations for NRStor Inc.’s flywheel energy storage facility, the first of its kind in Canada that will deliver two megawatts of regulation service to the province’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO).

“Energy storage technologies have the potential to revolutionize the electricity system, increasing its effectiveness, lowering costs and increasing reliability for the consumer,” Chiarelli said in a statement.

“Ontario is proud to be home to innovative companies like NRStor and Temporal that are at the forefront of the energy storage sector.”

Designed by Temporal Power Ltd., the facility offers regulation to the grid—a contracted services that matches scheduled generation with changing demand and consumption.

The flywheel is a mechanical battery that stores electricity as kinetic motion in a spinning steel rotor levitated on magnetic bearings.

“We commend the IESO and the government’s leadership in identifying the opportunity to deliver additional flexibility to Ontario’s electricity grid by balancing generation and consumption,” NRStor chair and CEO Annette Verschuren said.

“This project is the first of its kind in Canada and showcases the success of two Ontario start-ups using industry-leading technology.”