TORONTO, Ontario, May 13, 2026 – Hydrostor, a global long-duration energy storage (LDES) developer and operator based in Toronto, has announced the development of an advanced compressed air energy storage (A-CAES) project in Greater Napanee, Ontario—the Quinte Energy Storage Centre.

“We’re excited to be announcing our first large-scale project in Greater Napanee, Ontario, right in Hydrostor’s backyard,” said Curtis VanWalleghem, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Hydrostor. “This project will make critical contributions to grid reliability and resiliency, advancing the province’s energy goals and bringing a large infrastructure project with significant jobs and investment to Ontario.”

The announcement comes on the heels of the project’s receipt of a Municipal Support Resolution from Greater Napanee, Ontario, which was the result of a more than 12-month consultation process that allowed Hydrostor to engage with the town’s Administration, Council, and community members to raise awareness and understanding of the project and its benefits.

The project will now begin its permitting process, during which Hydrostor will continue to partner with the community of Greater Napanee as well as provincial and federal agencies to secure the necessary municipal, provincial, and federal permits and approvals. The project is being developed in partnership with the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, who will be an Indigenous equity partner in the project.

As a large-scale infrastructure project, the Quinte Energy Storage Centre is expected to contribute significantly to the local and provincial economy. The project is estimated to support thousands of jobs during the construction phase of the project, and approximately 40 permanent jobs for the facility’s 50-year lifetime once operational. The project is expected to contribute over CA$1.4B to Canada’s GDP.

The project will be funded in part by a previously announced investment from the Canada Growth Fund, who have made available a $50 million USD convertible development expenditure loan facility to fund a portion of development costs for Hydrostor’s Canadian projects.

Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator recently announced its first Long Lead-Time Procurement as Directed by Ontario’s Minister of Energy and Mines, Stephen Lecce, which will procure up to 800 MW of long-duration energy storage and prioritizes the development of diverse resources to support the reliability of Ontario’s grid for years to come.

The company’s A-CAES technology represents a critical solution underpinning the future reliability of energy systems globally. Hydrostor has projects in late-stage development in New South Wales, Australia, and California, USA, along with a 7 GW project pipeline globally, with projects advancing in Canada, the U.S., Australia, and the UK.

About Hydrostor Inc.

Hydrostor is a leading developer and operator of long duration energy storage systems, leveraging a proven, patented technology solution for delivering long duration energy storage to power grids around the world, using compressed air and water to store energy.

Founded in 2010 and with offices in Toronto, Canada; Melbourne, Australia; and Denver, USA; Hydrostor is backed by Goldman Sachs Alternatives, CPP Investments, Canada Growth Fund, and other forward-thinking institutional investors, providing financial security to commit to top-tier energy projects. Hydrostor has an extensive pipeline of A-CAES projects in North America, Australia, and Europe, poised to meet their evolving grid and reliability needs.

To learn more, visit https://www.hydrostor.ca/ or follow us on LinkedIn.

Source: Hydrostor

DENVER — Hatch, a global leader in engineering, project delivery, and professional services, and Hydrostor, a leading global long‑duration energy storage (LDES) developer and operator, have announced a new strategic project execution partnership and equity investment. Through this agreement, Hatch will lead the design and execution for the Willow Rock Energy Storage Center.

“Advancing a reliable and resilient energy system is more important than ever. Through our alignment with Hydrostor, we’re bringing forward what we view is the best-in-class long‑duration storage technology needed to reinforce global grid reliability for decades to come,” said Jim Sarvinis, global managing director, Energy, Hatch. “With a track record in complex, energy innovation projects, we’re driving momentum as committed stakeholders enabling a modern grid.”

“We’re pleased to announce this partnership with Hatch, which pairs Hydrostor’s leading long-duration energy storage technology with Hatch’s highly successful track record in delivering complex infrastructure projects,” said Tom Duckett, Hydrostor’s Chief Development Officer. “Willow Rock is going to be a key reliability asset in California as electricity demand grows, and we look forward to working towards groundbreaking this year.”

Beth Summers, Chief Financial Officer at Hydrostor, said “The equity agreement signals not only Hatch’s confidence in A-CAES technology, but also in Hydrostor as a business. Hatch joins an impressive list of leading equity investors in Hydrostor and we’re excited to work hand-in-hand with Hatch as we continue to grow our pipeline of projects globally.”

Willow Rock is a 500-MW Advanced Compressed Air Energy Storage (A-CAES) facility that is currently in late-stage development in California and which has received final permitting approvals from the California Energy Commission. It is designed to deliver 4,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of energy; it will be capable of delivering eight hours of clean, reliable energy on a full charge, providing vital long-duration storage for a modernized grid. As the largest A-CAES project in the world, Willow Rock showcases Hydrostor’s scalable technology.

This partnership reflects a shared commitment to delivering transformative energy solutions. Hydrostor’s proven A-CAES technology enables a strong technical foundation, while Hatch’s investment in Hydrostor, alongside its deep experience in project execution, regulatory insight, and delivery agility, will help meet the rising demand for bankable long-duration energy storage.

The Willow Rock Energy Storage Center is slated to be the largest A-CAES project in the world, marking a major step forward in building the long-duration storage required for a resilient power grid.

About Hatch

Hatch is a global engineering, project delivery, and professional services firm. Whatever our clients envision, our teams can design and build. With seven decades of business and technical experience in the energy, mining, and infrastructure sectors, we know your business and understand that your challenges are changing rapidly. We respond quickly with solutions that are smarter, more efficient, and innovative. We draw upon our 11,000 staff with experience in over 150 countries to challenge the status quo and create positive change for our clients, our employees, and the communities we serve. Find out more on www.hatch.com/About-Us

About Hydrostor Inc. 

Hydrostor is a leading developer and operator of long duration energy storage systems, leveraging a proven, patented technology solution for delivering long duration energy storage to power grids around the world, using compressed air and water to store energy.

Founded in 2010 and with offices in Toronto, Canada; Melbourne, Australia; and Denver, USA; Hydrostor is backed by Goldman Sachs Alternatives, CPP Investments, Canada Growth Fund, and other forward-thinking institutional investors, providing financial security to commit to top-tier energy projects. Hydrostor has an extensive pipeline of A-CAES projects in North America, Australia, and Europe, poised to meet their evolving grid and reliability needs.

To learn more, visit https://www.hydrostor.ca/ or follow us on LinkedIn.

Source: Hydrostor

DENVER, COLORADO – DECEMBER 19, 2025 – Hydrostor, a leading global long duration energy storage (LDES) developer and operator, is pleased to announce that the Willow Rock Energy Storage Center received final permitting approval from the California Energy Commission (CEC), positioning the project to be shovel-ready in 2026. The 500 MW / 4,000 MWh advanced compressed air energy storage (A-CAES) project can store energy for eight hours of continuous discharge to the grid, and will provide reliability and resiliency amidst rapidly rising electricity demand.

“This permit from the CEC is a crucial milestone to realizing the benefits of the Willow Rock project, and helps to unlock the rest of our multi-gigawatt pipeline in North America. We’re appreciative of all the work that has gone into reaching this important milestone,” said Curtis VanWalleghem, Hydrostor Co-Founder and CEO. “Our A-CAES technology will be key to reliably meeting expected demand increases driven in part by data centers and AI, while also maintaining affordability for existing customers. We’re excited to show the world the benefits A-CAES can bring to the grid.”

Jon Norman, Hydrostor President, said, “We’re grateful to the Commissioners, CEC staff, and all of our community stakeholders for the work that went into permitting the Willow Rock Energy Storage Center, which will be a critical economic driver for Kern County and the surrounding region. Now, we’re eager to get to work bringing the project to life, creating thousands of jobs and enhancing energy reliability and resiliency.”

Strategically located in Kern County, Hydrostor’s innovative storage technology stores surplus energy, which it is then able to discharge during peak use hours. The project will be able to power more than 400,000 homes for more than eight hours and will bring more than $500M in investment to the East Kern County and the greater Antelope Valley, in addition to thousands of jobs during construction and 40 full-time jobs for its 50-year operational lifetime.

The project received its franchise agreement from the Kern County Board of Supervisors as of early December, and received a conditional letter of support also from the Kern County Board of Supervisors in April.

The Willow Rock Energy Storage Center is Hydrostor’s first utility-scale project being built in the U.S. The company is developing another late-stage project in New South Wales, Australia, and has a 7 GW project pipeline globally, with projects in the U.S., Australia, Canada, and the UK.

About Hydrostor Inc. 

Hydrostor is a leading developer and operator of long duration energy storage systems, leveraging a proven, patented technology solution for delivering long duration energy storage to power grids around the world, using compressed air and water to store energy.

Founded in 2010 and with headquarters in Toronto, Canada and offices in Melbourne, Australia, and Denver, USA, Hydrostor is backed by Goldman Sachs Alternatives, CPP Investments, Canada Growth Fund, and other forward-thinking institutional investors, providing financial security to commit to top-tier energy projects. Hydrostor has an extensive pipeline of A-CAES projects in North America, Australia, and Europe, poised to meet their evolving grid and reliability needs. Follow us on LinkedIn.

Source: Hydrostor