Globeleq and African Rainbow Energy advance 612MWh BESS project
Globeleq and African Rainbow Energy have advanced the development of the 153 MW / 612 megawatts (MWH) battery energy storage system (MWH) in South Africa.
The parties reached the commercial closure by signing project agreements with the Ministry of Electricity and Energy and the National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA).
The 5 -hectare Red Sands Bess will be located in the north of the Cape and will be the largest autonomous Bess factory in Africa to reach the commercial closure.
It represents major progress for the electrical infrastructure of South Africa, promising to relieve the bottlenecks of transmission and distribution while strengthening the stability of the network in the region.
The Pivotal project was appointed as a preferred tenderer as part of the independent battery storage program led by the Government of South Africa in 2024.
The CEO of Globeleq, Jonathan Hoffman, said: “The commercial closure on the Red Sand Bess is a historic moment for Globeleq and for the storage of batteries in Africa. It highlights our ability to provide large-scale needs over a decade of renewable energy leadership in South Africa and our storage of Cuamba-Pllus Portfolio to support resilient energy systems and low content carbon through Africa.
By storing an excess of electricity during periods with low demand and by releasing it when demand culminates, the red sand Bess aims to facilitate the more fluid management of power flows in the NTCSA network. The installation will also offer essential essential auxiliary services to maintain the integrity of the grid.
African Rainbow Energy is a renewable energy platform belonging to African Rainbow Energy and Power and Absa Bank.
The CEO of African Rainbow Energy, Brian Dames, said: “Investment in Red Sands, in partnership with Globeleq, supports our objective of using modern and renewable energies to provide affordable electricity in South Africa and on the African continent, while eliminating communities.
Property of British International Investment and Norway for the development of Norfund finance, Globeleq develops, has and operates the production of electricity in Africa.
The company has built a portfolio of independent electric power plants, generating 1,794 MW in 17 locations in seven countries since 2002. 485 MW additional have been under construction and more than 2 GW of electricity projects are in development.
