- Infinity Power, a joint venture between Egypt’s Infinity and UAE’s Masdar, announced today the signing of a 20-year Capacity Change Agreement with Senelec, Senegal’s national electricity company to supply 40MW through a battery energy storage system (BESS).
- The system will enable Senelec to stabilise the nation’s electricity grid and pave the way for further renewable energy growth in Senegal.
The project will be operated by Infinity Power’s Parc Eolien Taiba N’Diaye (PETN) windfarm, located approximately 70km north of Dakar. The windfarm supplies 158.7MW of clean, renewable wind energy to over 2 million people across Senegal. PETN represents a 15% uplift in Senegal’s renewable generation capacity, and is the largest wind farm in West Africa.
Construction of the battery energy storage system is expected to commence in early 2024 at the Tobène substation in Thies and is expected to become operational in 2025. The BESS will also provide ancillary services such as frequency regulation, reactive power support, and energy charge and discharge. The BESS will support Senelec in reducing its dependence on reserve capacity derived from thermal plants, with Senelec estimating that the BESS will save the grid an estimated $165 million over its operating life.
The BESS facility project previously received a grant from the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) to fund initial feasibility studies at the site and the analysis necessary to implement and operate the battery storage system. On the other hand, Parc Eolien Taiba N’Diaye has initiated negotiations with engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firms and project finance lenders to plan and outline requirements for the technical side of the project.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
