Red Sands to bolster Northern Cape grid

South Africa’s Red Sands battery energy storage project (BESS) has achieved financial close

The 153MW/612 MWh project, led by Globeleq and African Rainbow Energy, becomes Africa’s largest standalone BESS facility to reach the financial close milestone.

It follows the signing of project agreements between both companies and the Department of Electricity and Energy and the National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA).

Globeleq and African Rainbow Energy raised approximately around US$300mn in debt financing from Absa and Standard Bank.

Located near Upington in South Africa's Northern Cape, the Red Sands BESS will span approximately five hectares and supply electricity to NTCSA under a 15-year power purchase agreement.

The project includes significant upgrades to Eskom and NTCSA's grid infrastructure and will help ease transmission and distribution congestion in the region.

China Energy Engineering Corporation has been selected as the engineering and procurement contractor, with the BESS technology and long-term service agreement provided by Sungrow, a global leader in inverter and energy storage system solutions.

“Financial close on Red Sands BESS is a pivotal step in delivering Africa's largest standalone battery storage project,” said Globeleq's CEO Jonathan Hoffman.

"With strong backing from Absa and Standard Bank, and support from our public and private partners, we're advancing a more resilient, low-carbon power system.”

Johan Koorts, senior banker, resource and project finance at Absa, said the transaction demonstrates the bank’s commitment to Africa’s energy transition goals and will support the reliability and efficiency of electricity supply in South Africa.

Sherrill Byrne, head of project finance, energy and infrastructure at Standard Bank CIB, added: “This project is set to significantly enhance South Africa's energy requirements and contribute to grid stabilisation."

Globeleq, which led the development and financing process, will manage the project during construction and into operation through a subsidiary, Globeleq South Africa Management Services.

The project was originally developed by African Green Ventures and later acquired by Globeleq in 2023.

Red Sands BESS will be its second utility scale BESS in its renewable portfolio, adding to its 13 solar, wind and hybrid PV plus BESS plants in South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya and Egypt, plus the Menengai geothermal plant, currently under construction in Kenya.

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JA Solar named 'Top Performer'. (Image source: JA Solar)

JA Solar, a global leader in the photovoltaic (PV) industry, again is recognised as a 'Top Performer' in the 2025 PV Module Reliability Scorecard released by PV Evolution Labs (PVEL), a globally respected independent testing laboratory

The company’s DeepBlue 4.0 Pro module (model JAM66D45/LB) delivered outstanding results across multiple reliability test sequences, earning JA Solar this distinction for the tenth time.

This designation recognises JA Solar’s long-standing commitment to product quality and performance.

PVEL’s Reliability Scorecard, based on its Product Qualification Program (PQP), is widely regarded as an industry benchmark.

The program subjects PV modules to rigorous laboratory and field tests that simulate long-term operating conditions, thus helping buyers evaluate real-world durability and reliability.

In this year’s evaluation, the DeepBlue 4.0 Pro achieved strong results in a series of demanding tests, including thermal cycling, damp heat, mechanical stress, potential induced degradation, and light- and temperature-induced degradation.

The results validate the module’s ability to maintain high performance and structural integrity under a variety of environmental stressors.

“The fact that we were named a Top Performer by PVEL for the tenth time is both an honour and a responsibility,” said Aiqing Yang, executive president of JA Solar.

“It reflects our unwavering focus on quality and our drive to deliver reliable, high-efficiency products to global partners operating in increasingly diverse and challenging environments.”

The DeepBlue 4.0 Pro is already widely adopted in global markets, earning praise for its energy yield, long-term reliability, and adaptability.

Building on its success, JA Solar introduced application-specific solutions tailored to harsh climates—environments ranging from deserts to offshore to alpine to typhoon-prone regions—as well as specialised use cases such as anti-glare, lightweight, and fire-resistant modules.

With a decade of recognition from PVEL and a strong track record across global benchmarks, JA Solar is positioned to shape the next phase of the PV industry.

As the energy transition accelerates, the company is focused on advancing product reliability, expanding scenario-based solutions, and supporting the evolving needs of utility, commercial, and residential markets worldwide.

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Burundi's Jiji hydro plant. (Image source: AfDB)

President of Burundi, Évariste Ndayishimiye, has officially inaugurated the Jiji hydroelectric power station, located in the southern province of Bururi

It forms a component of the US$320mn Jiji and Mulembwe Hydropower Project, which includes associated transmission lines and substations.

Including the Mulembwe plant, set to be operational in the coming months, the two new Burundian power facilities will have a total installed capacity of 49.5MW and an estimated annual output of 235 gigawatt-hours of clean energy.

The combined output will supply electricity to 15,000 households, 7,000 businesses and 1,700 industrial facilities, providing a vital boost too for key industry sectors such as healthcare, education, agribusiness and ICT.

“2025 marks a new era in Burundi’s energy development. Just as water is essential to life, energy is crucial to development,” said President Ndayishimiye.

“I am convinced that this new source of available energy will enable new businesses to develop and transform production from different sectors.”

Funding for the project was sourced through a wide variety of multilateral institutions, led by the World Bank which provided US$149mn in financing.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) provided a further US$22mn in support, the European Investment Bank (EIB) US$36.6mn, and the European Union (EU) US$95mn.

The Government of Burundi and the Société d'électricité du Burundi (REGIDESO) also contributed US$16.7mn.

The World Bank's representative in Burundi, Hawa Cisse Wagué, said the Jiji hydropower plant and infrastructure would be transformative to the nation’s economic prospects.

“This infrastructure is like a solution for the economic and social development of Burundi. It represents a fundamental lever for improving access to energy for our populations, industrialisation, job creation and economic growth.”

During the construction phase, the project created several hundred jobs, stimulating the local economy and strengthening technical capabilities in the energy sector.

Edward Claessen, head of the EIB's regional hub for East Africa, highlighted the significance of the project’s renewable credentials, thereby reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels.

“Our funding for this project was part of the European Union's strategy to develop clean and sustainable infrastructure in Africa, and it is also aligned with decarbonisation efforts, which businesses need to grow.”

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