France-based renewable energy producer Akuo has launched construction of a large-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) in Boulouparis, New Caledonia. The project involves the installation of more than 200 MWh of storage capacity under a long-term contract structure. Once operational, the facility is designed to deliver 50 MW of power for three hours per day over a 12-year contract with Enercal, New Caledonia’s electricity grid operator.
PROJECT SNPSHOT
France-based renewable energy producer, Akuo has launched construction of a large-scale battery energy storage system in Boulouparis, South Province, New Caledonia. The project involves installation of more than 200 MWh storage capacity under a long term contract structure. Once operational, the facility is designed to deliver 50 MW of power for three hours per day over a 12-year contract with Enercal, the territory’s electricity grid operator.
According to the company, the facility is scheduled for commercial operation in the third quarter of 2027 and will store electricity during the day for discharge during evening peak demand. With about 150 MWh usable capacity, the system can supply electricity equivalent to Nouméa’s peak demand for three hours, supporting grid load balancing.
In addition to energy shifting, the battery system has been designed as a grid regulation asset. It will provide fast-response frequency regulation, voltage control, and system stability services. The project includes grid-forming technology that allows the battery system to establish and maintain grid reference parameters independently. This enables black start capability and supports power restoration following outages on the island electricity network.
Akuo has an established operational presence in Boulouparis and across New Caledonia, where it operates several renewable energy assets in New Caledonia, including three solar photovoltaic plants. One of these assets, the 6 MWp Kwita Wije solar plant in Boulouparis with a smaller 3 MW/3 MWh storage system. The new battery project expands the company’s existing operational footprint in the municipality and builds on prior experience integrating storage with renewable generation on the island.
The Boulouparis battery project has been financed through a public-private structure involving Caisse d’Epargne Ile-de-France, Banque de Nouvelle-Calédonie, AFD, Banque Calédonienne d’Investissement, and BPI France, alongwith local GDPL groups representing customary tribes. The project has also qualified for local and national tax exemption mechanisms, reducing network costs under the Enercal contract. It also benefits from local and national tax exemption mechanisms, including New Caledonia-specific investment incentives and France’s LODEOM framework. The tax exemption mechanisms are intended to lower the costs passed on to the electricity network under Akuo’s contract with Enercal.
Bruno Bensasson, CEO of Akuo, stated that the company has completed development and financing for the project and has initiated construction, noting the role of the battery system in supporting renewable power integration and energy supply for New Caledonia’s mining sector.