October 28, 2026
Rodan Energy Solutions and St. Marys Cement, a subsidiary of Votorantim Cimentos North America (VCNA), have announced a long-term agreement to develop a 50 megawatt-hour (MWh) behind-the-meter battery energy storage system (BESS) at the St. Marys Cement plant in Bowmanville, Ontario. According to the companies, the project will become Canada’s largest behind-the-meter BESS installation to date.
The battery energy storage system is designed to help the Bowmanville cement plant manage electricity demand while supporting operational resilience and VCNA’s broader sustainability strategy.
Rodan Energy will develop, own and operate the BESS and provide ongoing energy optimization through its proprietary FlexOps platform. Under the agreement, Rodan will assume the development capital and operational risk, allowing St. Marys Cement to use the fully managed energy solution without an upfront capital investment.
The Bowmanville plant has operated since 1968 and remains an important part of St. Marys Cement and VCNA’s Canadian operations.
A key objective of the project is to reduce the plant’s grid electricity demand during periods of peak consumption.
The batteries can be charged during lower-demand periods and discharge stored electricity when system demand is high. This approach is intended to reduce energy costs, provide greater grid flexibility and allow the plant to maintain essential operations while reducing its reliance on the electricity grid during peak periods.
The companies also say shifting electricity consumption away from periods when grid carbon intensity may be higher can contribute to VCNA’s sustainability objectives.
VCNA has established a commitment to achieving net-zero concrete by 2050 alongside interim targets for 2030.
For large industrial facilities such as cement plants, energy management can influence operating costs, production reliability and exposure to electricity system constraints.
Rodan Energy President and CEO Paul Grod said the Bowmanville project demonstrates how behind-the-meter battery storage can provide industrial energy users with economic savings, emissions reductions and greater control over energy security.
VCNA President and CEO Jorge Wagner said the project combines energy cost management, operational resilience and the company’s sustainability roadmap while supporting reliable operations at the Bowmanville facility.
As VCNA’s first project of this type, the Bowmanville BESS will also provide a foundation for evaluating similar energy storage opportunities across other company operations.
The Bowmanville battery storage system will operate using Rodan Energy’s FlexOps optimization platform.
According to Rodan, FlexOps currently manages more than 1,500 MW of distributed energy resources across North America, including curtailable loads, generation assets, grid-connected battery systems and behind-the-meter energy storage.
The platform will be used to optimize the St. Marys Cement system throughout the long-term agreement, helping manage when the batteries charge and discharge based on plant requirements and electricity market conditions.
Rodan Energy is expanding its behind-the-meter battery storage portfolio as electricity-intensive businesses look for ways to address energy costs, grid constraints, resilience and sustainability targets.
The company is pursuing opportunities with commercial and industrial energy users as well as data centre operators, electric vehicle fleets and utilities. Rodan is also seeking partnerships with battery manufacturers, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) companies, investors and financial institutions.
For St. Marys Cement and VCNA, the 50 MWh Bowmanville project represents a significant investment in energy infrastructure designed to support the plant’s long-term operations while providing a model for potential deployment elsewhere in the organization.
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