Malawi to Construct its First Solar-Plus Storage Project
Malawi will construct its first solar-plus storage project, this will be a collaboration between Sungrow, JCM Power, InfraCo Africa, RINA and Innovate UK.
Located in the Dedza district of Malawi near the town of Golomoti, the 20MWac solar PV and 5MW/10MWh energy storage project is set to become a leading project in sub-Saharan Africa in demonstrating the value of solar PV coupled with energy storage.
The project will fully adopt Sungrow’s one-stop solar-plus-storage MV solution comprised of PV inverter, MV station, all-in-one Power Conversion System, battery container, and energy management system (EMS).
The solar PV and storage technologies provide capabilities in frequency regulation, voltage regulation, peak shaving and reactive power support.
The Golomoti project, which is expected to enter operations at the end of 2021, will have all engineering, procurement and construction activities managed by JCM Power.
The inclusion of lithium-ion batteries behind the meter at this scale will be a first in sub-Saharan Africa, demonstrating JCM’s position in deploying technologies and innovation for solar-storage projects.
Shane Eglinton, engineering director of JCM Power, said: “We are pleased to have selected Sungrow to supply solar inverters, transformer kiosks and a one-stop lithium-ion battery energy storage solution for this pioneering project.
Together, with Sungrow’s global experience and expertise, we look forward to this project demonstrating the pathway for clean, affordable and reliable energy for Malawi and further as a demonstration to other developing nations.”
“We are extremely proud to be part of this iconic project. At the same time, we are certain that the introduction of our latest outdoor Power Conversion System solutions to the African market will boost the region’s clean-power access and economic growth,” said Phyllis Yang, the head of Sungrow Southern Africa.
After years of growth with zero security incidents, Sungrow is on the path to becoming the world’s leading supplier of ESS equipment and integrated system solutions. In 2020, thanks to its broad product portfolio and perfectly localized after-sales service network, Sungrow led Southern Africa’s PV sector with a market share over 20%.
Source: esi-africa
