- PepsiCo has received permission from the Ekurhuleni Municipality to connect a 1.8 MW rooftop solar PV system plus 2.9 MWh battery energy storage system to the local grid as a grid tied system.
- The new Solar PV/lithium-ion battery hybrid system will enable the food manufacturer to have access to a secure energy supply plus reduce carbon emissions.
- The system was installed by South African IPP/EPC, SOLA Group.
Umesh Himraj, engineering sustainability lead at PepsiCo SSA said, “We are pleased to have implemented such a landmark project at one of our South African facilities.
“This approach and investment into renewable energy forms part of our PepsiCo positive journey – a strategic end-to-end transformation with sustainability at the centre of how the company will create growth and value.”
Despite the ability of the plant to be completely off-grid, the renewable energy system has also received the requisite municipal and Nersa approvals to connect to the grid, which will allow PepsiCo SSA to sell excess energy back to the municipality.
Large-scale energy storage solutions are imperative for high renewable energy penetration as they enable the consistent supply of power and combat intermittency from grid supplied power.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
