A new role for Bowmanville’s industrial site
St. Mary’s Cement is planning a major battery storage installation at its Bowmanville plant, a project the company says will become Canada’s largest behind-the-meter battery energy storage system. The facility’s owner has reached a long-term agreement with Rodan Energy Solutions for a system with 50 megawatt-hours of storage capacity.
The project is intended to change when the cement operation draws electricity from the provincial grid. Rather than relying on the grid to meet all of its needs during periods when demand is highest, the plant will be able to charge the batteries during lower-demand periods and use stored electricity when demand rises. That arrangement is designed to reduce the facility’s peak power draw while allowing essential operations to continue.
For Bowmanville, the announcement connects a long-established industrial employer with a form of energy infrastructure more commonly associated with the transition of Ontario’s electricity system. The proposal does not replace the cement plant’s operations. Instead, the batteries are meant to work alongside them, giving the facility another way to manage its electricity requirements over the course of a day.
- Storage capacity: 50 megawatt-hours
- Project location: St. Mary’s Cement in Bowmanville
- Project partners: Votorantim Cimentos North America and Rodan Energy Solutions
- Operating model: Rodan will develop, own and operate the system
Energy management and long-term planning
St. Mary’s Cement has been part of the Bowmanville community since 1968. Votorantim Cimentos North America, or VCNA, said the planned installation is part of its wider sustainability strategy and will allow the company to assess whether similar projects could be suitable at other locations.
Jorge Wagner, president and chief executive officer of VCNA, described the project as a way to combine energy cost management, operational resilience and the company’s sustainability plans. He said the plant’s long presence in Bowmanville has been accompanied by continued investment in its future performance.
“This project brings together energy cost management, operational resilience and our sustainability roadmap in a practical way.”
Wagner also said reducing demand during periods of peak system use, while supporting dependable plant operations, reflects the company’s Sustainable Legacy value and its stated commitment to creating lasting value for its operations and communities. The arrangement with Rodan, he added, is intended to provide the technical and operational support needed over the life of the asset.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Facility | St. Mary’s Cement, Bowmanville |
| Storage system | Behind-the-meter battery energy storage |
| Capacity | 50 megawatt-hours |
| Ownership and operation | Rodan Energy Solutions |
Under the agreement, Rodan Energy Solutions will develop, own and operate the battery system. The source announcement did not provide a construction schedule, an in-service date, a project cost or details about any effect on staffing at the cement plant. It also did not state whether the system would provide electricity beyond the facility’s own requirements.
The immediate purpose is therefore focused on the plant itself: storing electricity when demand is lower and deploying it when demand is higher. For an industrial operation in Bowmanville, that approach offers a way to manage exposure to peak electricity use while maintaining the processes the company identifies as essential. VCNA said the Bowmanville installation will be its first project of this kind and will serve as an opportunity to evaluate similar opportunities elsewhere.
