South Africa will prioritise the rollout of 9.6 gigawatts (GW) of battery storage and gas-to-power capacity as it implements its long-term electricity strategy, Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said on Wednesday.
The move forms part of South Africa's plan to add more than 105 GW of new electricity generation capacity by 2039, according to the country’s Integrated Resource Plan. More than half of the planned additions are expected to come from renewable energy as South Africa gradually reduces its reliance on coal.
Battery storage and gas take early priority
In the first phase, the government plans to procure 4.6 GW of battery energy storage systems and 5 GW of gas-to-power capacity, Ramokgopa said in a statement.
The government will consider additional wind and solar projects at a later stage, as it works to strengthen the electricity system and integrate more renewable power into the national grid.
South Africa currently has five battery storage projects with a combined capacity of 513 megawatts (MW). Ramokgopa said expanding storage would help the country make better use of renewable energy that is currently unable to reach consumers because of grid constraints.
The country is also assessing proposals from four shortlisted consortia seeking to provide 2 GW of gas-to-power capacity.
Under the Integrated Resource Plan released last year, South Africa has earmarked 16 GW of gas capacity for its energy mix by 2039.
Source: Reuters
Reporting: Wendell Roelf
Editing: Alexander Winning&Mark Potter
