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Scatec will seek to replicate the success it has had in previous hybrid solar and battery storage projects at Kenhardt. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Scatec ASA, a renewable energy provider, has reached financial close for the Mogobe battery energy storage system (BESS) facility in Northern Cape, South Africa

The 15-year power purchase agreement was awarded to Mogobe BESS under the first window of the Battery Energy Storage Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (BESIPPPP) which will see Scatec receive payments for making the storage capacity available for the National Transmission Company of South Africa (NTCSA).

“We are showing and supporting that dispatchable energy and grid infrastructure are cornerstones to the sustainability of South Africa’s current and future energy system,” said Roar Haugland, EVP sub-Saharan Africa, Scatec. “By unlocking more grid capacity, we are enabling further electricity access, as well as enabling more renewable energy grid connections in years to come.”

A milestone for South Africa

With a total capex for the 103MW / 412MWh project at US$170mn, Scatec’s EPC contract account for approximately 83%. The project, which will see NTCSA utilise the capacity to balance the grid, will be financed by US$154mn of non-recourse project debt with Standard Bank of South Africa acting as mandated lead arranger, and the remaining equity from the owners.

“This marks a new milestone for Scatec in South Africa and for the renewable energy transition in the country,” commented Scatec CEO Terje Pilskog. “The Mogobe BESS project is a first of a kind and reaffirms our standing as a leading renewable energy player in South Africa. We continue to see attractive growth opportunities in the market based on the need for growth in power generation, our strong position in the country and our strong and competent local team.”

“Standard Bank is proud to continue our long-standing partnership with Scatec as the lead arranger for the groundbreaking Mogobe BESS project. This facility represents a significant step forward in South Africa’s energy transition, building on our successful collaboration on projects like Kenhardt. We’re committed to financing innovative energy solutions that drive sustainable development and economic growth in South Africa and across the continent,” added Rentia van Tonder, head: power – corporate and investment banking, Standard Bank of South Africa.

This step towards a sustainable future for South Africa is a timely announcement given the recent warning from IRENA that the world is set to miss a key climate target without immediate change. Click here to discover the full story.

The HGY Series are designed to work seamlessly with micro-grids and renewable energy sources. (Image source: HIMOINSA)

HIMOINSA, a leader in power technology solutions, has launched the HGY Series, a new engine line with a capacity from 1,250kVA to 3,500kVA

According to the company, which is part of the Yanmar Group, it has future plans to reach 4,000kVA with the range which is engineered to deliver robust and sustainable solutions, particularly in areas with unstable national grids. The range, it claims, has the potential to significantly help address Africa’s growing energy needs, particularly in key sectors critical to the continent’s economic development such as healthcare, mining, oil and gas, and data centres.

Guillermo Elum, HIMOINSA's EMEA region head, remarked, “Africa is a key growth region for HIMOINSA, and our approach goes beyond merely selling products; we are committed to building local capacity. Our training programmes in Angola, South Africa, Morocco, Togo and soon, in Tanzania, ensure that African technicians and engineers are fully equipped to manage and maintain our technology, creating skilled jobs and developing expertise across the continent.”

A high-capacity solution

With the release of the HGY Series, HIMOINSA has entered the high-capacity engine segment as it bids to support the continent’s rapid industrialisation and infrastructure expansion. By offering flexible fuel options, currently capable of operating with a range of diesel types and HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil), with future plans to support natural gas and hydrogen, the HGY Series ensures that businesses and communities across Africa have access to low-emission, efficient, and reliable power, regardless of local grid conditions.

Francisco Gracia, CEO of HIMOINSA, surmised, “We see enormous potential in Africa’s industrial and digital sectors, and the HGY Series is a powerful tool for realising that potential. From supporting vital healthcare facilities to powering new data centres that drive digital transformation; to providing continuous power for mining projects, our solutions are designed to make a tangible impact in Africa’s growth story. This launch is more than just a product introduction; it is our commitment to being a partner in Africa’s progress.”

COP29 will build on the COP28 agreement by advancing initiatives and priorities that accelerate the development of renewable energy potential and remove barriers to its expansion. (Image source: IRENA)

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has released a new report assessing the feasibility of achieving the COP28 target of tripling renewables by 2030

In pursuit of meeting the collective goal of the Paris Agreement to keep global warming well below 2°C global leaders set a target of tripling renewables by 2030 at Cop28 in UAE. Nearly one year on from the conference, IRENA has assessed the progress made, stating that, despite an unprecedented acceleration in renewable energy deployment in 2023, the world will likely fall short of the target.

These findings were published in its newly released ‘Delivering on the UAE Consensus: tracking progress toward tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency by 2030’. Produced in partnership with COP28, Cop29, COP30 host Brazil and the Global Renewables Alliance today at Pre-COP, it provides accurate inputs to future COP decisions including COP29 in Baku.

The findings demonstrate that current national plans and targets are set to deliver only half of the required growth in renewable power by 2030. According to the organisation, annual investment in renewable capacity would have to triple, from a record high of US$570bn in 2023 to US$1.5 trillion every year between 2024 and 2030.

Global shortfalls

To meet the global goals, installed renewable capacity would have to grow from 3.9TW today to 11.2TW by 2030, requiring an additional 7.3 TW in less than six years. Yet, current national plans are projected to leave a global collective gap of 3.8TW by 2030, falling short of the goal by 34%. In addition, the annual energy intensity improvement rate must increase from 2% in 2022 to 4% on a yearly base up to 2030.

According to IRENA, these shortfalls highlight the inadequacy of existing policies and plans to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C, underscoring the need for urgent policy interventions and massive investment. The third round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement in 2025 must close the gap towards 2030.

“Today, we’re raising the alarm,” Francesco La Camera, IRENA’s director-general. “As the custodian for tracking progress of the UAE Consensus energy goals, we must flag significant gaps. The COP28 goals of tripling renewables and doubling energy efficiency are key enablers for our global efforts to keep 1.5°C within reach but we risk missing them. The next NDCs must mark a turning point and bring the world back on track.”

The progress report concludes that to deliver the UAE Consensus goals on the ground, significant advances will be required across the key enablers of the energy transition, namely: infrastructure and system operation, policy and regulation, supply chains, skills and capacities, finance, and international collaboration.

Emerging and developing economies continue to face financing gaps that undermine access to capital-intensive energy transition technologies. Renewable power investments in Africa declined by 47% between 2022 and 2023. Sub-Saharan Africa received 40 times less than the world average per capita transition-related investment.

The solution empowers customers to maximise operational performance and accelerate net-zero goals. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Aspen Technology, a global leader in industrial software, has introduced the AspenTech Microgrid Management System (MMS), a solution enabling asset-intensive organisations to optimise power generation, storage and load management to address power reliability and meet net-zero goals

Based on the company’s AspenTech OSI monarch SCADA platform, the new solution is dedicated to customers with heavy electrical power requirements in refining, chemicals, mining and other asset-intensive industries that manage their own on-site conventional and renewable power generation in orchestration with active load management and energy storage.

“AspenTech’s new microgrid solution reduces energy vulnerability and business risk by bringing innovation to asset-intensive industries based on decades of electric utility control and automation experience gained at more than 400 global utilities,” remarked Sally Jacquemin, vice president of power and utilities at AspenTech. “AspenTech Microgrid Management System brings functionality and flexibility to the power challenge, helping heavy energy users achieve both operational and net-zero objectives.”

Energy management

AspenTech MMS, now a part of AspenTech’s Digital Grid Management suite, is designed to help industrial customers address energy challenges by providing enhanced power reliability with active, real-time management of power generation resources, including renewable energy and storage, improved situational awareness to maximise return on investment and enhanced cybersecurity to protect all critical loads.

The solution also features an industrial AI approach capable of forecasting power consumption and renewable generation up to 35 days in the future, enabling scheduling and optimisation algorithms to maximise the use of generation resources while minimising emissions and electricity costs.

Additional standard AspenTech MMS features include real-time control, trending, alarming and reporting; the ability to optimise renewables with traditional electricity generation and battery storage; forecasting and scheduling capabilities; and a robust user interface wit responsive data historian and restoring capabilities.

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