- The developers of a 128MW wind/solar/battery project in South Africa have announced financial close.
- Developed by G7 Renewable Energies and ENGIE, with empowerment partners Meadows Energy and Perpetua, the 128MW Oya Energy Facility in the Karoo was awarded Preferred Bidder status in the RMIPPPP in March 2021.
The Project will integrate co-located 86,4 MW wind energy, 155 MW solar Photo Voltaic arrays, and 94MW/242MWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery storage on a single site with a single hybrid plant controller. This orchestrates all three technologies to provide dispatchable power to the grid as and when needed – making the Oya Facility one of the largest hybrid energy projects in Africa and unique in the world in terms of technology mix, size and price.
The green-field development will straddle the Western and Northern Cape Provinces of South Africa, between the towns of Ceres and Sutherland. The facility will operate at a capacity factor of around 75% between the hours of 5 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. when national electricity demand is highest.
The Oya Energy management system is a first in the world bespoke system utilising AI and machine learning to maximise capacity, availability, and predictability in the presence of variable solar and wind resources, the intricacies of the lithium-iron-phosphate battery energy storage system, complex connection requirements and the evolving needs of the South African electricity grid.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
