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Storage News

Interest from IPPs aiming to connect renewables to grid surges to 133 GW

By: Terence Creamer 19th August 2024 The latest edition of the South African Renewable Energy Grid Survey points to there being massive and growing interest from developers of solar PV, wind, battery and hybrid plants to connect to the South African grid. Published jointly by Eskom Holdings’ National Transmission Company South... →

SATREPS projects aiding progression to green economy

By: Trent Roebeck 16th August 2024 Hydrogen and fuel cells solutions Center of Competence (CoC) HySA Infrastructure, at North-West University (NWU) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, is making a concerted effort to help South Africa and Africa transition towards a green economy by championing developments in... →

An image of one of the most recent construction projects carried out by HySA

NEW PRODUCTION FACILITY HySA Infrastructure continues to maintain energy production facilities in South Africa to improve local production expertise and consumer access to green hydrogen and ammonia

Balancell expands plant tenfold, seeks govt backing for energy storage industry

By: Irma Venter 2nd August 2024 Energy storage company Balancell is moving into a new R80-million factory in Ndabeni, Cape Town, as the business gears up to grow its capacity roughly tenfold, says chief commercial officer Ian Pieters. The lithium ferro-phosphate battery assembler’s previous plant was limited to 250 MWh capacity... →

Eskom again moots 20 GW clean-energy build programme

By: Terence Creamer 23rd July 2024 Eskom will replace its declining coal capacity with clean-energy options in line with country policy and the Just Energy Transition, Eskom GM for primary energy Dan Mashigo told participants at a conference on coal and the energy transition. Speaking on behalf of Eskom CEO Dan Marokane, Mashigo... →

Cape Town Market goes green with battery, demand management system

By: Irma Venter 11th July 2024 The Cape Town Market in Epping has started the commissioning of a battery energy storage and demand management system (DMS). The commissioning of the 3 MWh system follows the installation of more than 3 000 solar panels with a 1.4 MWh output. →

The solar installation at the Cape Town market

Separation of energy portfolio welcomed

By: Creamer Media Reporter 5th July 2024 Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses President Cyril Ramaphosa's decision to separate the energy portfolio from that of mineral and petroleum resources; what the priorities are for the new leadership of the energy portfolio; and the potential risks facing the new Ministry. →

Separation of energy portfolio welcomed

‘Second wave’ of Operation Vulindlela set to prioritise ‘green and digital’ growth

By: Terence Creamer 25th June 2024 The ‘second wave’ of government’s Operation Vulindlela initiative is poised to be widened to include additional structural reforms to those that have been pursued to date in electricity, freight logistics, telecoms, water and skills with the goal of stimulating higher levels of economic growth... →

South Africa could leverage its potent solar and wind resources to power green manufacturing

City of Tshwane pushing ahead with plan to procure 1 000 MW by 2026

By: Terence Creamer 19th June 2024 The City of Tshwane is signalling its intention to proceed with plans to procure and/or revive 1 000 MW of electricity generation capacity by 2026 as part of a strategy aimed at improving security of supply and reducing its dependency on Eskom. Executive Mayor Cilliers Brink told delegates... →

Executive Mayor of Tshwane Cilliers Brink

TNPA moves to integrate desalination, renewables at Port Elizabeth and Ngqura ports

By: Terence Creamer 18th June 2024 South Africa’s Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has issued requests for proposal (RFPs) for the construction of two solar-powered seawater desalination plants and a hybrid renewables-battery facility to service its Nelson Mandela Bay ports, in the Eastern Cape. TNPA is seeking bidders... →

TNPA's head office at the Port of Ngqura

Eskom targets JETP funds and partnerships for 2 GW clean-energy pipeline

By: Terence Creamer 14th June 2024 Having recently confirmed a decoupling of its just energy transition strategy from the decommissioning of its coal-fired power stations, Eskom is aiming to finalise business cases for a pipeline of renewable energy and battery storage projects, some of which could be deployed in close proximity... →

South Africa urged to integrate successful global grid-battery strategies to support roll-out

By: Terence Creamer 12th June 2024 South Africa should consider ways to replicate strategies employed in regions such as South Australia and California to facilitate an accelerated uptake of grid batteries, which a new International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) report states can be introduced to support grid... →

Eskom's Hex grid-battery installation

Balancell named fastest growing manufacturing company in Africa in new list

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 5th June 2024 The Financial Times, in partnership with Statista, has published its list of Africa’s 125 Fastest Growing Companies for the Year. In the top spot for manufacturing was Balancell Energy, a South African business that designs, engineers and manufactures smart lithium-ion batteries for multiple... →

Assembling batteries at Ndabeni

DMRE again delays bidding deadlines for procurement of new renewables and battery storage

By: Terence Creamer 31st May 2024 The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has confirmed another extension to the bid submission deadlines for the current renewables procurement round, as well as the second battery storage bidding round. The deadline for Bid Window Seven (BW7) of the Renewable Energy Independent... →

Today’s well-supplied market for critical minerals ‘may not be a good guide for future’

By: Terence Creamer 17th May 2024 A new International Energy Agency (IEA) report describes the sharp decline in critical mineral prices over the past year as a double-edged sword, cautioning that, while it has been a boon for clean energy deployment and affordability, it is a bane for critical mineral investment and... →

Investment in certain minerals, notably copper and lithium, is falling short of what was required for transition to net-zero energy system

Battery storage procurement faces some delays

By: Creamer Media Reporter 10th May 2024 Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses South Africa's approach to procuring battery storage, the delays that some of the battery storage bid windows face and the likely market reaction to these delays. →

Battery storage procurement faces some delays

Blue Energy, wheel maker ink green power deal

By: Irma Venter 10th May 2024 Local developer and operator of clean energy infrastructure Blue Energy Africa has signed a 20-year deal with Borbet South Africa (SA) for the procurement of power from renewable-energy sources. Founded in 1962 by Peter Wilhelm Borbet, the family-owned company has five locations in Germany, as... →

Deadline for latest battery procurement also extended as IPPs adjust to Eskom’s new grid access rules

By: Terence Creamer 9th May 2024 The deadline for South Africa’s recently launched third battery energy storage bidding round, or bid window three (BW3), has been extended by three months to October 31, following a recent deadline extension for the concurrent second battery bidding round from April 30 to June 6. Independent... →

South African company comes second in Milken-Motsepe Prize in Green Energy competition

By: Sabrina Jardim 7th May 2024 The Milken Institute and the Motsepe Foundation have announced Aftrak and Omnivat as winners of the Milken-Motsepe Prize in Green Energy – a $2-million innovation competition to reward entrepreneurs working to expand access to reliable, affordable and sustainable offgrid electricity in Africa.... →

Photo by The Milken-Motsepe Innovation Prize Program
Winners of the Milken-Motsepe Prize in Green Energy, Dr. Carl Telford and Dr. Jonathan Wilson from Aftrak, and Runner-Up Winners, Randy Kabuya and Deney van Rooyen from Omnivat, pictured with Dr. Patrice Motsepe (left), Mike Milken and Dr. Emily Musil Church (right) at the Milken Institute Global Conference

NamPower grid-strengthening and battery storage project secures $138.5m World Bank backing

By: Terence Creamer 7th May 2024 The World Bank has approved a $138.5-million finance package to support the integration of renewable energy into Namibia’s electricity system by strengthening its transmission grid and integrating a second utility scale battery storage system into the country’s network. The initiative, which is... →

Climate commission model points to the growth potential of green industrialisation

By: Terence Creamer 6th May 2024 The initial direct cost of placing South Africa on an energy transition pathway over the coming five years in line with its decarbonisation targets is calculated at a hefty R1.5-trillion in the Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP). Less visible, however, are the socioeconomic costs... →

New Mulilo CEO says South Africa’s renewables, storage markets poised for exponential growth

By: Terence Creamer 2nd May 2024 Independent power producer Mulilo reports that Jan Fourie has officially assumed the role of CEO, where he will oversee the company’s growth ambitions in South Africa’s public-procurement and private-offtake markets for both renewable energy and battery storage. Fourie, who is an electrical... →

Mulilo chairperson Jan Oberholzer with new CEO Jan Fourie

City Power seeks funding, manufacturing partners for informal settlement ‘energy box’

By: Terence Creamer 30th April 2024 Johannesburg’s City Power is seeking manufacturing and venture capital partners to further develop and pilot a rugged ‘energy box’ concept in one of the city’s 312 informal settlements as a possible greener and safer alternative to the illegal connections that currently predominate. Chief... →

Photo by Bloomberg
Joburg has 312 informal settlements where illegal connections pose an electrocution risk

UK-Morocco renewable energy link plan gets $10.2m boost

By: Bloomberg 30th April 2024 GE Vernova invested $10.2-million in Xlinks First, the UK company planning a massive renewable power project in Morocco and a 4 000 km undersea cable to deliver the energy to Britain. The investment helped close the latest funding round for Xlinks First, capping $110-million raised to date,... →

EDF Renewables, partners building 1.2 GW of low-carbon power capacity

By: Darren Parker 26th April 2024 EDF Renewables is currently leading the construction of almost 1.2 GW of low-carbon power generation capacity in South Africa, comprised of 763 MW of wind power, 355 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) and 75 MW of battery storage. This new build programme comprises eight sites across the Northern and... →

Wind turbines being erected at one of Koruson 1 sites

Solar rental firm begins testing roll-out model for underserved communities

By: Terence Creamer 25th April 2024 Local solar-as-a-subscription service provider Wetility is deploying a rooftop solar solution in a lower-income community as part of a proof-of-concept study to firm up the feasibility of extending the offering to other underserved areas. COO Franta Pour tells Engineering News that the company’s... →

Tumble in storage battery costs to boost shift to renewables, says IEA

By: Reuters 25th April 2024 An expected sharp fall in battery costs for energy storage in coming years will accelerate the shift to renewable energy from fossil fuels, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Thursday. While renewable energy by itself is already much cheaper than coal and gas-fired plants, weather can... →

IEA executive director Fatih Birol

Blue Energy signs 20-year green power deal with wheel manufacturer

By: Irma Venter 24th April 2024 Local developer and operator of clean energy infrastructure, Blue Energy Africa, has signed a 20-year deal with Borbet South Africa (SA) for the procurement of power from renewable-energy sources. Founded in 1962 by Peter Wilhelm Borbet, the family-owned company has five locations in Germany, as... →

Gauteng govt rolls out 6.3 MWh of solar power at 27 healthcare facilities

By: Darren Parker 23rd April 2024 The Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) has installed and commissioned a combined equivalent of six independent microgrid power plants through the installation of rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery storage at 27 prioritised health institutions across the province. The total combined... →

Battery and invertor at government clinic

IEA expects another record year for EVs in 2024, but sales remain concentrated

By: Terence Creamer 23rd April 2024 The International Energy Agency (IEA) expects electric vehicle (EV) sales to rise to a record 17-million in 2024, representing more than one in every five passenger cars sold, but with sales likely to remain highly concentrated in the Chinese, European and US markets. Sales rose by 35% last year... →

Ramokgopa describes IPP surpluses as low-hanging fruit amid delay in finding contractual solution

By: Terence Creamer 22nd April 2024 Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa describes surplus electricity arising from existing renewable energy facilities as “low hanging fruit” in improving the supply-demand balance and reports that discussions are under way to assess ways to make this energy available to the grid. Speaking... →

Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa

Efforts to boost local manufacture of renewable energy components

By: Creamer Media Reporter 19th April 2024 Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses South Africa's plans to stimulate local manufacturing around solar, wind and batteries. →

Efforts to boost local manufacture of renewable energy components

Joburg Water showcases its reservoirs

17th April 2024 Johannesburg Water has showcased some of the various reservoirs and systems that supply the City of Johannesburg with water. The water utility also outlined the challenges in operating the systems that feed the economic hub with the critical resource. Natasha Odendaal has the story. →

Joburg Water showcases its reservoirs

Electricity outlook for winter

By: Creamer Media Reporter 12th April 2024 Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses the halt in loadshedding over recent weeks; what South Africans should expect for the higher-demand winter period; and the longer-term outlook for South Africa's electricity sector. →

Electricity outlook for winter

Globeleq says R5.7bn Red Sands will be largest standalone battery storage project in Africa

By: Terence Creamer 5th April 2024 Leading African independent power producer Globeleq says the 153 MW/612 MWh Red Sands project, which was recently awarded preferred bidder status under South Africa’s inaugural battery storage public procurement round, will be the largest standalone battery energy storage system (BESS) in Africa... →

Globeleq CEO Mike Scholey

Battery storage, renewables procurement make headlines

By: Creamer Media Reporter 5th April 2024 Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses the latest developments with regard to the procurement of new electricity generation capacity and storage. →

Battery storage, renewables procurement make headlines

Clean energy company implements renewable energy system for major agri business

By: Rebecca Campbell 2nd April 2024 South African clean energy infrastructure development and operation company Blue Energy Africa has highlighted its implementation of hybrid solar and battery energy systems for a major Western Cape agricultural company. The client was Robertson-based Smuts Brothers Agri (Smuts), which is a... →

Third battery storage programme seeks bids for five Free State sites

By: Terence Creamer 2nd April 2024 The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has launched South Africa’s third public procurement round for utility-scale batteries, while also extending the bid submission deadline for Bid Window Two (BW2) of the Battery Energy Storage Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme... →

Eskom's Hex battery project, developed separately form the IPP procurement programmes currently under way

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