Tendered by The Nigerian Electricity Company (NIGELEC), the project consists of 18.9MWp solar + 11.55MWh/3.0 MVA battery energy storage system (BESS) + 6.54 MVA (2.18 x 3 MVA) diesel generator and 20 kV substation, and evacuation line up to the Nigelec Substation in Agadez. The consortium will also be responsible for a two-year operation and maintenance (O&M) service of the power plant.
Battery-based energy storage enables generated electricity to be stored and delivered at any given time, providing stability to the grid, and enabling energy delivered on demand. It will also aid flexibility and agility to better integrate solar and diesel energy into the electricity grid of the city and ensure quality power. The project also includes the rehabilitation of the electrical network of the city of Agadez, which does not allow the evacuation of electricity to and within the city, and the electrification of the neighbouring hamlet of Tibinitene.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Deepak Thakur, CEO – Hybrid & Energy Storage, Sterling and Wilson said, “We are extremely delighted to have secured another prestigious opportunity in Africa after successfully commissioning Nigeria’s first solar storage hybrid power plant, which is also Africa’s largest battery energy storage system. Hybrid energy solutions is a huge opportunity as many power generation and distribution companies in places like Africa are moving into renewables.”
“As one of the leading turnkey EPC solution providers globally, with project management, engineering and delivery expertise of over 11 GW of diversified energy offerings across geographies, along with our consortium partners, we are committed to deliver this project well on-time, fully complying with the stringent quality and safety standards,” added Mr. Deepak Thakur.
O&M services will comprise complete system and rehabilitation of the electrical network of the city of Agadez, and the electrification of the neighbouring hamlet of Tibinitene. The consortium will provide project management assistance and institutional support to train engineers and technicians of Nigelec in photovoltaic technologies to enable them to operate large-scale solar power plants in the short term and to ensure smooth functioning of the plant even after two years.
Niger, a landlocked country located in West Africa, has only recently resorted to Solar PV and Diesel with Battery Storage Hybrid project as an energy source for such remote locations. The project would be Niger’s first ground-mounted Solar PV, Diesel and Battery Storage based power plant and is crucial for Agadez, a city which is located at the gateway to the Sahara Desert and isolated from the rest of the country.
With its worldwide energy expertise, SWPL has an extensive focus on where and how hybrid and energy storage solutions can be applied across the energy sector, from centralized large fossil and renewable power plants to data centres, C&I segments and remote settings such as Islands. The company’s HES business unit is offering a range of clientele – from utility-scale and C&I project developers, independent power producers to public utilities and IOUs – a host of turnkey services such as project development, design and engineering including sizing of storage solutions and hybrids, supply chain management, construction, commissioning, and operations & maintenance.
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