Samsung SDI said Monday that its U.S. subsidiary, Samsung SDI America, has signed a 1-gigawatt-hour agreement to supply energy storage systems (ESS) to Alpha Omega Power, a U.S. utility-scale battery storage developer and independent power producer. The latest deal brings the total volume of agreements between the two companies to 1.5 gigawatt-hours, including an initial contract signed late last year. Alpha Omega Power plans to deploy the systems in large-scale power projects aimed at strengthening grid reliability and meeting rising electricity demand. Construction is scheduled to begin next year in the Western Electricity Coordinating Council and Electric Reliability Council of Texas markets. Under the latest agreement, Samsung SDI will supply its Samsung Battery Box 1.7, an integrated ESS equipped with nickel-cobalt-aluminum batteries. All cells and modules will be manufactured at the StarPlus Energy plant in Kokomo, Indiana, with deliveries scheduled to be completed by the end of this year. Samsung Battery Box 1.7 offers 17 percent higher energy density than its predecessor, Samsung