Battery storage developer-operator Spearmint Energy has received a site permit for the 150MW/600MWh Midwater Energy Storage Project, in Freeborn County, Minnesota, US.

Announced 16 July, Spearmint received a site permit for the battery energy storage system (BESS) project from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC). It will be sited on 10 to 20 acres of privately owned land adjacent to the Glenworth Substation off Minnesota Highway 65 in Freeborn County.

Midwater is Spearmint’s second project to advance through Minnesota’s state permitting process, following the successful permitting of the company’s 150MW/600MWh Snowshoe Energy Storage Project in Olmsted County, in 2025, which was the first standalone battery storage project approved in the state.

According to documents filed with the MPUC by Spearmint, operating as Midwater BESS, LLC, the total installed capital cost for the BESS project will be approximately US$457 million. Operating costs are estimated at US$246 million over the project’s lifetime, including labour and materials.

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