ESS Tech, Inc. a leading manufacturer of long-duration energy storage systems (LDES) for commercial and utility-scale applications, announced that it has partnered with Sapele Power Plc (“Sapele”), a leading Nigerian integrated energy company specializing in power generation, to provide an initial 1 MW / 8 MWh of long-duration energy storage. This agreement represents the largest battery storage system export to Africa financed by the Export-Import Bank of the United States of America to date and will improve the efficiency of Sapele’s existing assets by providing ancillary services.
According to the International Energy Agency, an estimated 40% of all the electricity consumed in Nigeria is produced from backup generators due to unreliable power supply caused by limited grid infrastructure, underinvestment and ineffective regulatory frameworks. Projects such as this demonstrate the opportunity to improve grid reliability and efficiency through the addition of battery storage resources.
As ESS’ first project in Africa, the company’s iron-flow technology will provide safe and sustainable LDES which will enable load-smoothing, peak demand shifting and enable the Sapele power station’s turbines to ramp up and down efficiently.
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“As we continue to grow and meet global demand for long-duration energy storage, we are proud to serve innovative use cases, demonstrating the many potential applications for ESS technology,” ESS CEO Eric Dresselhuys said. “This project demonstrates Sapele’s leadership in ensuring reliable electricity for homes and businesses with greater capital efficiency, which will be key to creating a sustainable and resilient energy system across Africa.”
“This project will deliver improved reliability and efficiency for our generation assets in Nigeria,” said Sapele Board Member Heather Onoh. “We are pleased to partner with ESS to deploy the first iron flow battery system in Africa. Long-duration energy storage will play a critical role in a resilient, reliable energy system and this is just the first of many LDES projects that we anticipate in coming years.”
SOURCE: Businesswire