| Work Detail |
The Pongola Battery Energy Storage system has a maximum daily capacity of 160MWh It is envisioned that gains from battery energy storage system (BESS) projects will help to alleviate the pressure on South Africa’s national electricity grid. Among the numerous initiatives is the Pongola BESS, located in Pongola Local Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal. The project successfully attained Operational Acceptance on 15 October 2024. The Pongola BESS has a 40MW output with a maximum daily capacity of 160MWh at the 22kV point of connection at the Pongola Substation supplied via a 132kV radial line from Normandie Main Transmission Substation near the town of Mkuze. With a discharge efficiency of 90% and a life span of 20 years, the facility provides ancillary services, such as frequency response when required as its primary use case and energy support as a secondary use case. As such, the BESS will be used primarily for national peak shaving (managing demand) purposes for four hours a day for at least 250 days of the year. The batteries will be charged during off-peak periods or when the network conditions permit. The project, designed to use large-scale utility batteries and a 60MW solar PV capacity, is implemented in two phases. To maximise benefits, the distributed battery storage site is strategically situated in a remote area with limited access to the national distribution networks, but close to renewable independent power producers’ plants. ESI |
