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UK firm Globeleq, the main impartial energy firm in Africa, yesterday introduced that its Purple Sands undertaking within the Northern Cape has been awarded Most popular 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 Improvement Finance Establishment of the UK Authorities.

Battery storage is a necessary enabler of renewable-energy era, and the marketplace for these methods is rising quickly in South Africa and worldwide as a method of resolving vitality crises and tackling local weather change. These methods 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 era in order that it may be launched into the grid when era 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 scale back South Africa’s reliance on fossil fuels because it seeks to transition to wash vitality. This R5.7 billion (US$300 million) funding subsequently represents a flagship undertaking financed by the UK as a part of its dedication below the Simply Vitality Transition Partnership agreed at COP26.

The Purple 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 growth firm owned by Norwegian primarily based vitality agency Magnora ASA. The undertaking will cowl roughly 5 hectares (12 acres) and can connect with the grid via the Eskom Garona substation. The substation will likely be upgraded by the Purple Sands undertaking to make sure that full community help capabilities of the undertaking’s batteries might be utilised.

Working carefully 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 practically 1,800 MW of vitality in South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya, Tanzania, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt and Cameroon. Globeleq is a UK firm primarily based in London and backed totally with Official Improvement Help (UK support).

Purple 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 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 have now acquired Most popular Bidder standing for this crucial undertaking, and I stay up for working with the federal government and our companions to take Purple 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 initiatives 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 a significant function in serving to to deal with the vitality disaster with new know-how that can carry energy provide stability and most significantly help South Africa’s ambition to cut back carbon emissions.”