Tesla secures massive new 1 GWh Megapack project in Canada

Tesla has secured a massive new 1 GWh Megapack order for a large-scale energy storage project in Canada.

Back in 2019, Tesla launched the Megapack; it was Tesla’s third stationary energy storage product after the Powerwall and Powerpack.

A single Megapack unit is a container-sized “3 MWh battery system” with integrated modules, inverters, and thermal systems. With the bigger size and integrated power electronics, Tesla claims that the Megapack is 60% more energy-dense than its Powerpack. It also comes on-site, ready to install, and can ship in containers.

A few months ago, Tesla updated the Megapack with more capacity, 3.9 MWh, and made it a bit bigger. The energy storage system has quickly become the most popular battery pack for large-scale energy storage projects.

Despite a significant ramp-up in production capacity over the last year, the lead time on new Megapack orders shows that it is basically sold out for the next two years.

Now a new giant project is being added to the backlog.

NRStor Inc. announced a new partnership to build the Oneida Energy Storage Project:

The Oneida Energy Storage Project is the largest of its kind in Canada and amongst the largest in the world. It will provide a gigawatt-hour of much needed capacity to the Ontario grid, while prioritizing local Indigenous partnerships and environmental benefits. NRStor and Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation (“SNGRDC”) have been jointly developing the Project since 2018 and are also pleased to announce Northland Power’s participation as an equity and operating partner.

The consortium confirmed that it is going to use Tesla Megapacks for the 250 MW/1,000 MWh project.

Annette Verschuren, chair and CEO of NRStor, commented on the announcement:

This is a significant day for the Oneida Energy Storage Project, and we are proud of the example it sets as a sustainable energy project with strong Indigenous partnership from Six Nations and collaboration between industry and government. We thank our many stakeholders, including the Government of Ontario and the Government of Canada, whose support and investment in this Project have played a key role in bringing it to this stage.

The Tesla Megapacks are going to be used to store surplus power from renewable energy produced in Ontario and deliver it back to the grid at peak demand. It will also provide grid balancing services.

As previously stated, the project is added to Tesla’s long Megapack backlog, and it is not expected to be completed before 2025.