The government of South Africa has signed commercial close agreements for two large-scale BESS projects totalling 720MWh, allowing project backers Scatec and a consortium of CIP and EDF to proceed with construction.

South Africa’s electricity minister has said the largest solar-plus-storage project in the Southern Hemisphere is evidence of efforts to mitigate the country’s difficult energy security situation.

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) of South Africa has opened the third bid window for its Battery Energy Storage IPP Procurement Programme (BESIPPPP), while also revealing the fifth and final winner from the first window.

A consortium including Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) and utility EDF has won preferred bidder status for three battery energy storage system (BESS) projects in South Africa.

Saudi-based independent power producer (IPP) ACWA Power has signed a PPA with government bodies in South Africa for a solar-plus-storage project with a 1,200MWh BESS.

Norway-based independent power producer (IPP) Scatec has started operations on three solar-plus-storage projects in South Africa, totalling 1,140MWh of BESS capacity.

Norway-based IPP Scatec has won preferred bidder status for a 103MW/412MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) project in South Africa, part of a 513MW tender.

EDF Renewables has reached financial and commercial close on two virtually-coupled hybrid projects in South Africa, combining wind and solar with a combined 75MW of battery storage.

Eskom, the public utility company of South Africa, has inaugurated a 20MW/100MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) aimed at mitigating the challenging situation facing the country’s grid.

South Africa needs to prioritise grid-located battery storage if it is to overcome the ongoing ‘load-shedding’ power outage crisis plaguing the country.