East Africa Outdoor Power BESS

The African Continental Power System Masterplan (CMP) study into BESS says that considering Africa's rapidly growing power requirements and the already planned contributions from variable renewable energy (VRE), these commitments do not fully reflect the potential for BESS on the continent.

As South Africa continues to grapple with frequent blackouts and load shedding, these BESS projects will help mitigate risks and contribute to the country's energy security. The Gainfar Project will be connected to the Ngwedi substation, while the Boitekong Project will be connected to the Marang substation.

Experience in the African context is even more limited with very few grid-scale BESS projects that are operational. As an emerging technology it is expected that technical performance will continue to mature and improve. Already, rapid and significant improvements have been seen across most performances metrices.

Project agreements have been signed with the Department of Electricity and Energy and the National Transmission Company South Africa. Credit: Rotorworx 1/Shutterstock. Globeleq and African Rainbow Energy have advanced the development of the 153 MW/612 megawatt hours (MWh) Red Sands battery energy storage system (BESS) in South Africa.

The project will span approximately five hectares and involves substantial upgrades to Eskom's and the NTCSA's grid infrastructure. The Red Sands BESS will ease transmission and distribution congestion in the Northern Cape, strengthening South Africa's energy infrastructure and supporting a more resilient and decarbonized power sector.

Confirmed development of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) across Africa is still small compared to global projections, says a study. The confirmed development of Battery Energy Storage Systems across Africa is still small compared to global projections – less than 0.5% of the global BESS capacity of 358GW by 2030.