Recently, Envision Energy Storage signed a supply contract with EDF Group to provide battery energy storage systems (BESS) for three independent energy storage projects led by EDF in South Africa. The total installed capacity of these projects will be 257 MW / 1028 MWh. This marks the first GWh-level energy storage order in South Africa.
Envision Energy disclosed that these projects are part of South Africa’s first round of Battery Energy Storage System Independent Power Producers Procurement Program (BESIPPPP), which features five selected bidding projects. EDF, leading a local consortium named Oasis, won the bids for three of them: Oasis Aggeneis, Oasis Mookodi, and Oasis Nieuwehoop power stations. All three are located in Northern Cape Province and are expected to be completed and operational by the end of 2026.
South Africa, as one of the most industrialized and financially advanced nations in Africa, plays a key role in Africa’s mining, manufacturing, and financial services sectors. With an area of 1,219,912 square kilometers, it is the 24th largest country in the world. The country benefits from abundant sunlight and vast, nearly flat inland plateaus, offering significant potential for solar power generation. In response to ongoing electricity shortages and growing incentives for renewable energy, South Africa’s solar and energy storage markets have experienced rapid growth in recent years.
The falling costs of photovoltaic modules and energy storage systems have further accelerated the demand for solar and storage solutions across Africa. In regions with weaker power supply, businesses and residents have historically relied more on diesel generators to meet their energy needs. However, as Chinese energy storage companies actively expand into the African market, the demand for residential energy storage systems in Africa has surged.
South Africa stands out as a prime example of this trend. The demand for energy storage is exploding, with Chinese companies such as Sungrow, BYD, and Pinggao Group already supplying storage equipment or winning EPC bids in the country.
On December 5, 2023, Sungrow signed a supply agreement with EDF Renewables to provide a 264 MWh liquid-cooling energy storage system for South Africa’s first wind-solar-storage hybrid virtual power plant project.
In the same month, BYD Energy Storage officially connected its full suite of storage equipment at the Kenhardt Power Station to South Africa’s national grid.
In June 2022, Pinggao Group also successfully won an EPC contract for an 80 MW / 320 MWh electrochemical energy storage project of Eskom, South Africa’s state-owned power utility, with a value at 761 million yuan (approximately $104.3 million US). This project is not only Pinggao’s first overseas electrochemical energy storage project, but also the largest electrochemical energy storage project in Africa at that time.
Source: WeChat Official Account—高工储能
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