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UK firm Globeleq, the main unbiased energy firm in Africa, yesterday introduced that its Pink Sands mission 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 programs is rising quickly in South Africa and worldwide as a way of resolving vitality crises and tackling local weather change. These programs present dependable energy provide on demand, even when the vitality grid is unstable, overcoming the challenges of intermittent wind and photo voltaic sources. They retailer vitality at occasions 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 vitality storage is important to increasing the attain of renewables and dashing the transition to a carbon-free energy grid — that is key to serving to cut back South Africa’s reliance on fossil fuels because it seeks to transition to scrub vitality. This R5.7 billion (US$300 million) funding subsequently represents a flagship mission financed by the UK as a part of its dedication underneath the Simply Vitality Transition Partnership agreed at COP26.

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

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

Globeleq is the biggest unbiased energy produce in Africa, offering almost 1,800 MW of vitality in South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya, Tanzania, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt and Cameroon. Globeleq is a UK firm based mostly in London and backed totally with Official Growth Help (UK assist).

Pink Sands will probably be Globeleq’s first Battery Vitality Storage Options (BESS) mission in South Africa however the Group owns and operates a mixed photo voltaic and BESS plant at Cuamba in Mozambique, and is growing BESS tasks throughout the African continent. Globeleq additionally owns and operates 8 renewable vegetation (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 essential mission, and I sit up for working with the federal government and our companions to take Pink 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 vitality but additionally throughout Africa as extra renewable vitality tasks profit from the advances our trade has made with BESS know-how.”

British Excessive Commissioner to South Africa, Antony Phillipson stated: “It is a vital funding in South Africa’s future. The UK is proud to play such an important position in serving to to deal with the vitality disaster with new know-how that may deliver energy provide stability and most significantly help South Africa’s ambition to cut back carbon emissions.”