DEPCOM Power launches Puerto Rico's largest solar + BESS project at Salinas

DEPCOM Power, an integrated engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) company that also provides operations and maintenance (O&M) services for utility-scale solar and energy storage markets, has inaugurated Ciro One, Puerto Rico's largest solar and battery energy storage system (BESS) at Salinas on the small Latin American island.

The 90 MW photovoltaic (PV) and 51.5 MW BESS facilities were set up by a group consisting DEPCOM, which conceptualized the project and managed the installation, alongside developer partner Ciro Energy Group and local subcontractor Lord Construction Inc.

Ciro One will generate enough energy to power 60,000 typical Puerto Rican homes, and marks a major step toward meeting Puerto Rico's aim to generate 100 percent of its electricity needs through renewable sources by 2050. The system is expected to begin operation end of 2024. DEPCOM will also operate and maintain the system for a five-year period.

In a statement, Johnnie Taul, CEO of DEPCOM, said: "Ciro One illustrates DEPCOM's strengths in merging large-scale solar deployment, advanced BESS expertise, and integrated EPC and O&M services - building critical infrastructure for the community's energy future."

Ciro One's BESS integrates a lithium-titanate oxide (LTO) battery, which delivers higher cycling power and lower degradation than more commonly used lithium iron phosphate technology (LFP).

Using LTO ensures a warranted system life to full 25 years, compared to only 20 years for LFP. Furthermore, the PV system is designed to withstand hurricane-force winds, and features a lower panel tilt angle and east/west row orientation. The inverter technology includes salt fog filters to mitigate the effects of salinity on the system's power electronics.

DEPCOM has also developed a solution to keep the system safe in the event of grid failure: the BESS has been islanded by connecting it to a PV array for power supply instead of diesel generators.