Globeleq To Construct Largest Standalone Battery Vitality Storage System In South Africa

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UK firm Globeleq, the main impartial energy firm in Africa, yesterday introduced that its Crimson Sands undertaking within the Northern Cape has been awarded Most well-liked Bidder standing in South Africa’s Vitality Storage Capability Impartial Energy Producer Procurement Programme (ESIPPPP). Globeleq is majority-owned by British Worldwide Funding (BII), the Growth Finance Establishment of the UK Authorities.

Battery storage is a necessary enabler of renewable-energy technology, and the marketplace for these methods is rising quickly in South Africa and worldwide as a method of resolving power crises and tackling local weather change. These methods present dependable energy provide on demand, even when the power grid is unstable, overcoming the challenges of intermittent wind and photo voltaic sources. They retailer power at instances of extra technology in order that it may be launched into the grid when technology falls in need of demand, serving to to mitigate the necessity for load-shedding.

Consultants say that widespread power storage is important to increasing the attain of renewables and rushing the transition to a carbon-free energy grid — that is key to serving to scale back South Africa’s reliance on fossil fuels because it seeks to transition to wash power. This R5.7 billion (US$300 million) funding subsequently represents a flagship undertaking financed by the UK as a part of its dedication underneath the Simply Vitality Transition Partnership agreed at COP26.

The Crimson Sands undertaking is within the Northern Cape, about 100km southeast of Upington, and was initially developed by African Inexperienced Ventures, a South African renewable undertaking improvement firm owned by Norwegian primarily based power agency Magnora ASA. The undertaking will cowl roughly 5 hectares (12 acres) and can hook up with the grid by way of the Eskom Garona substation. The substation will likely be upgraded by the Crimson Sands undertaking to make sure that full community help capabilities of the undertaking’s batteries could be utilised.

Working intently with main international battery and balance-of-plant suppliers, Globeleq estimates that the undertaking would require an funding of roughly US$300 million and can take 24 months to assemble after monetary shut, which is anticipated in 2024.

Globeleq is the biggest impartial energy produce in Africa, offering almost 1,800 MW of power in South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya, Tanzania, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt and Cameroon. Globeleq is a UK firm primarily based in London and backed completely with Official Growth Help (UK support).

Crimson Sands will likely be Globeleq’s first Battery Vitality Storage Options (BESS) undertaking in South Africa however the Group owns and operates a mixed photo voltaic and BESS plant at Cuamba in Mozambique, and is creating BESS initiatives throughout the African continent. Globeleq additionally owns and operates 8 renewable crops (6 photo voltaic PV, 2 wind) in South Africa with a complete producing capability of 384 MW.

Mike Scholey, Globeleq’s CEO commented: “I’m delighted that we’ve got acquired Most well-liked Bidder standing for this crucial undertaking, and I sit up for working with the federal government and our companions to take Crimson Sands to monetary shut and into operations. Electrical energy storage goes to be key not solely in serving to South Africa meet its appreciable industrial and home demand for power but additionally throughout Africa as extra renewable power initiatives profit from the advances our business has made with BESS expertise.”

British Excessive Commissioner to South Africa, Antony Phillipson mentioned: “It is a important funding in South Africa’s future. The UK is proud to play such an important function in serving to to sort out the power disaster with new expertise that can carry energy provide stability and most significantly help South Africa’s ambition to cut back carbon emissions.”