renewables coming soon

Houston energy co. secures $118.5M for battery energy storage project in south Texas

Tokyo Gas America has scored over $100 million in investment tax credits for project in Brazoria County that will supply power to Houstonians.

Houston-based Tokyo Gas America has received $118.5 million in investment tax credits for its battery energy storage system in Brazoria County. The system will supply power for the Houston-area territory served by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).

San Francisco-based institutional fund sponsor Foss & Co. provided the tax equity for the Longbow BESS project, being developed by New York City-based Clean Capital Partners. Construction on the 174-megawatt battery energy storage system began earlier this year, and the project is expected to come online this summer.

“Longbow BESS represents a significant step forward in our commitment to providing clean and reliable energy solutions,” Ken Kiriishi, senior vice president of Tokyo Gas America, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tokyo Gas Co., says in a news release.

Earlier this year, Tokyo Gas America completed its $216 million purchase of Longbow BESS from Clean Capital Partners.

With the goal of owning and operating more than five gigawatts of renewable generation projects by 2030, Tokyo Gas America entered the U.S. renewables market in 2020 through its acquisition of the Aktina Solar Project. Tokyo Gas America bought the project from Chicago-based Hecate Energy, which develops, owns, and operates renewable energy projects in the U.S.

Aktina is the largest solar project in Texas, encompassing 1.4 million solar modules across 4,000 acres in Wharton County. The project, capable of generating as much as 500 megawatts of renewable energy, can power as many as 100,000 homes.

Aktina, which came online in 2021, supplies power to the ERCOT wholesale market. Construction of the roughly $3.2 million project recently wrapped up.

In February, Tokyo Gas America announced it had set up two subsidiaries to promote it gas marketing and trading operations in North America. As part of this venture, Tokyo Gas bought a 49 percent stake in ARM Energy Trading. Houston-based ARM Energy Holdings is the majority owner of ARM Energy Trading.

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A View From HETI

Huntsman Corp. celebrated the opening of the new R&D center in Tienen, Belgium, this month. Photo via Huntsman

A Houston-based global leader of innovative chemistries strengthened its research and development capabilities by opening a new international innovation center.

Huntsman Corp. celebrated the opening of the new R&D center in Tienen, Belgium, on June 13.

The 11,000-square-meter facility is a world-scale analytical laboratory; two machine halls; and fully equipped and automated product testing facilities. According to the company, the facility will assist with the “journey from the formulation of initial ideas at lab scale through to the manufacture of novel systems and samples ready for customers to trial.”

The innovation center will house more than 100 scientists from the company's polyurethanes and performance products. In key markets, which include adhesives, coatings and sealants; automotive; elastomers; energy; furniture and bedding, and insulation, will support the application of Huntsman technologies. The polyurethanes division is a global leader in MDI-based polyurethanes, which serves more than 3,000 customers in over 90 countries worldwide.

The inauguration event on June 13 was attended by more than 100 customers, suppliers, the mayor of Tienen and business partners. The event also included presentations from Huntsman's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Peter Huntsman, and Tony Hankins, President of Huntsman's polyurethane business.

"Today marks a significant milestone as we officially open the doors to our new European innovation center, a facility dedicated to creativity, collaboration and progress," Huntsman says in a news release. "We already have a rich legacy of innovation in Belgium. This center reflects our continuing commitment to exploring new ideas and turning imaginative concepts into practical solutions that can make a positive impact in the world."

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