South Africa’s Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has launched the third bid window of the country’s Battery Energy Storage Independent Power Producer Procurement Program (BESIPPPP). The tender calls for the procurement of five energy storage systems targeting a total of 616 MW/2,464 MWh.
With bids due by July 31, 2024, the projects will be situated at five pre-selected substation sites identified by South African energy company Eskom. The sites include the Harvard, Leander, Theseus, Everest and Merapi substations in the country’s Free State province.
Poised to provide Eskom with enhanced grid capacity while improving the integration of renewable energy, the contracted projects will have a minimum duration of four hours and a minimum capacity of 124 MW. Furthermore, Eskom indicated that the projects should feature a minimum availability of 95% over 8,760 hours per contract year.
Meanwhile, the DMRE also announced the appointment of the 5th and final preferred bidder under the first bid window of the BESIPPPP, with construction company AG Projects set to provide 153 MW in battery energy storage capacity through its Red Sands project in the Northern Cape province.
The second bid window for the program is currently procuring 615 MW/2,460 MWh in battery energy storage systems projects, with bids due by June 6, 2024.
