Liberty Acquires IMG

Liberty Energy Inc., a provider of completion services and technologies to onshore oil, natural gas, and enhanced geothermal energy producers in North America, is expanding its electricity sector operations by acquiring IMG Energy Solutions, a developer of distributed power systems.

With the acquisition, Denver, Colorado-based Liberty said it will be able to rapidly deploy microgrids to help meet demand from data centers.

The acquisition “enables the immediate participation in PJM market activities”, Liberty chief executive Ron Gusek said. The PJM interconnection region comprises all or parts of the District of Columbia and 13 states:  the original core of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland, plus Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

“The acquisition strengthens Liberty Power Innovation’s power solutions offering by incorporating IMG’s advanced engineering designs, software control systems, utility interconnection experience (PJM), and power marketing expertise”, Liberty said.

“IMG’s cutting-edge modular power product design enables rapid deployment for microgrids, uniquely positioned to meet resiliency expectations for data centers and other applications.

“With over a decade of proven power system deployment and operations experience, the company’s 4th generation design expands on previous successes, offering a high reliability, scalable, standardized power block configuration. As a pre-engineered, pre-tested product solution, this self-contained modular power block design requires minimal balance of plant equipment and provides quick adaptation to site-specific requirements without extensive re-engineering and reconfiguration”.

Meanwhile Pittsburg, Pennsylvania-based IMG’s third-generation product solution has been powering a microgrid at Pittsburgh International Airport, where it owns a utility-scale solar array and operates solar and natural gas thermal facilities.

Liberty added, “IMG’s cloud-based centralized operations platform for remote monitoring and control includes systems integration, automation, instrumentation and electrical design”.

“The network operating center enables 24/7 power dispatch, remote monitoring and asset management, ensuring optimal plant performance and long-term reliability”, it said.

“IMG’s rigorous safety culture and unwavering commitment to environmental compliance have resulted in zero environmental penalties and a 100 percent compliance record across its operational portfolio”.

Gusek said Liberty is now “well-positioned to deliver low-emissions, capital-efficient energy solutions with a fully integrated power solution across the value chain”.

In 2023 IMG divested six gas power plants with a capacity of 21 megawatt each in northeast Pennsylvania. It says it is now building “a significant portfolio of solar energy projects across the PJM region”.

“We seek to construct, own, and operate both utility-scale and behind-the-meter solar assets for the benefits of a variety of customers”, IMG says on its website.

FTI Capital Advisors LLC served as financial advisor to IMG Energy Services.

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