Developing south african energy storage sites

Is Eskom launching a battery energy storage system in South Africa?

Friday, 10 November 2023: Eskom unveiled the first of its kind largest Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project not only in South Africa but in the African continent. Eskom officially opened the Hex BESS site at Worcester in the Western Cape yesterday.

Why is energy storage important in South Africa?

Experts say that widespread energy storage is vital to expanding the reach of renewables and speeding the transition to a carbon-free power grid - this is key to helping reduce South Africa’s reliance on fossil fuels as it seeks to transition to clean energy.

Is energy storage a viable option for South Africa's power system?

In the longer term, however, at higher levels of variable generation, flexibility requirements will significantly increase demanding interventions to ensure secure and cost-efficient operation of the South African power system. Energy storage was specifically noted to be highly suitable for this purpose.

What are South Africa's energy storage development and manufacturing objectives?

South Africa’s energy storage development and manufacturing objectives and roadmap. Anticipated changes in the generation and consumption profiles of the country with consideration of the most recent IRP (Intervention 1.2 under Policy levers) and any subsequent techno-economic planning and modelling.

Is South Africa ready for energy storage?

The extent to which the South African market is ready for energy storage is considered in subsequent sections. The 2030 vision outlined in the National Development Plan (NDP) of 2011 set the objective to completely eliminate income poverty and reduce inequality in the country.

Can stationary energy storage solve South Africa's power system challenges?

While the potential of stationary energy storage to address the existing power system challenges, are high in South Africa, the current uptake of the technology is limited to customer-sited, behind-the-meter applications (largely for back up services).