Heritage Cases

The project forms part of the World Bank funding set of criteria for the Major Build program and requires a carbon friendly alternative to be implemented in Eskom as an alternative to the Kiwano CSP project. The project is thus required to connect an equivalent of a 100 MW of Renewable Energy plant, with a capacity of at least 525 GWh per year. Furthermore, according to a high-level analysis of constrained feeders within the distribution business, current feeder levels do not meet the required voltage and thermal characteristics as required by its license conditions. Eskom has therefore proposed BESS to provide ancillary support in terms of enhanced frequency control of the network, reactive power support and improved quality of supply performance near existing Distributed Generation Renewable Energy plants. The Battery Storage technology may enable the immediate levels of constraint to be addressed and provide continued access to potential customers to these networks. The battery storage technology will also improve the quality of supply and mitigate voltage related concerns on the networks. The Battery Storage technology may also enable some significant strengthening investments to be deferred, whilst providing a reliable and effective interim solution to the problems faced on the Distribution Networks. Electricity generation from renewable sources is limited by the intermittency and variability of wind and solar resources, i.e. when wind blows and sun shines. Energy storage allows for the storing of electricity for later use even when the renewable resource is unavailable. The process involves the conversion of electrical energy into another form of energy such as chemical or kinetic energy, store it temporarily and then converted back to electrical energy, therefore giving the utility considerable flexibility and control.