Name of the Project
Battery Energy Storage Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (BESIPPPP) – Bid Window 2 (BW2).

Location
North West, South Africa.

Project Owner/s
Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), and the Independent Power Producers (IPP) Office.

Project Description
The request for proposals for the BESIPPPP – BW2 was released in December 2023 and calls for 615 MW battery energy storage capacity.

Eight storage facilities in closest proximity to dedicated substations – Mercury, Carmel, Hermes, Ngwedi, Midas, Marang, Bighorn and Ararat, in the North West supply area – will be procured.

Under BW2, the IPP Office is aiming to procure 77 MW of battery energy storage systems at every substation, each with four hours of storage.

A minimum availability of 95% over 8 760 hours per contracted year is also stipulated and the facilities will be expected to provide instantaneous, regulating and supplementary reserves.

The closing date for bid submissions under BW2 is April 30, 2024.

The preferred bidder will be announced about three months after the bid submission date.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
Not stated.

Planned Start/End Date
Not stated.

Latest Developments
The deadline for BW2, which was initially moved from April 30 to June 6, has been delayed to August 29.

In a notice published on the website of the IPP Office, the department indicated on May 31 that BESIPPPP BW2 had been delayed at the request of “a substantial number of registered bidders” to allow for the issuance of environmental authorisations by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.

No reference was made to BESIPPPP BW3, in the Free State, for which the deadline was extended in May by three months to October 31, 2024.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
IPP Office, email query@ipp-storage.co.za.