Public utility Eskom has awarded contracts for the provision of battery storage solutions for its flagship 500MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project in South Africa to two Asian firms.
South Korean power equipment firm Hyosung Heavy Industries and China’s Pinggao Group won the contract to design, supply and install the system, as well as operating and maintaining the project for a five-year period.
The project will act as a proof of concept on the delivery of the first battery energy storage project in South Africa— part of the country’s measures to address its long-running electricity crisis.
The project will be used primarily for national peak shaving purposes for four hours a day for at least 250 days of the year.
It will also be used secondarily for ancillary services and local network support.
Charging of the batteries will take place during off-peak periods or when the network conditions permit.
Approval for the BESS has been obtained from the World Bank; the project is co-financed by the African Development Bank, New Development Bank, the World Bank and the Clean Technology Fund (CTF).
