FusionSolar smart photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage system (ESS) solutions are an ideal option for power hungry sub-Saharan African mining operations looking to prevent production losses owing to energy disruptions, says German PV systems expert SOLARWORLD MD Gregor Küpper.

Whether used as back-up power or an off-grid solution, the combination of PV and battery storage outperforms diesel-driven generators used to supplement energy needs in the mining industry in terms of cost per kilowatt-hour, as well as eliminates the impact of increasingly common diesel supply constraints and price hikes on profitability, says Küpper.

The FusionSolar ESS solution is also cost competitive when considering the rising price of grid-based power, with struggling national power utility Eskom planning to apply for a 32% tariff increase from April 1, 2023/24 as it battles loadshedding, he highlights. 

“The FusionSolar product range offers the best containerised solution for utility-scale storage that I’ve seen up to now on the market. Not only is the range reliable and easy to implement, but it also offers attractive efficiencies. The product concept, availability and technical features are brilliant.”

Solar Word opened its first office in sub-Saharan Africa in Nigeria in 1984, followed by a South African office in the 1990s.

The company became the first to introduce FusionSolar Smart PV solutions in South Africa in 2014, upon the successful completion of three-month trials subsequent to being presented with FusionSolar Smart PV solutions at solar industry exhibition InterSolar Europe, in Munich, that same year.

Today, SOLARWORLD offers FusionSolar Smart PV solutions such as the LUNA2000 smart string ESS.

LUNA2000 Utility-Scale ESS for Grid Stability

Equipped with lithium-ion batteries, the LUNA2000 is a compact, space-optimised solution in a 20-foot container that provides 2 MWh storage capacity. Generation capability can be increased in 200 kW increments following a minimum 1 MW installed capacity, explains Küpper.

FusionSolar’s utility-scale ESS solution was introduced to sub-Saharan Africa at the beginning of the year, says FusionSolar product manager Quintin Zeeman, highlighting that the LUNA2000 offers the same energy storage capacity as the 40-foot containerised solution supplied by its competitors.

“We’ve just made the latest version available. We went from a 0.5C battery C-rate, which is equal to a 120-minute charge and discharge rate, to a 1C battery C-rate, which is equal to 60 minutes. Many projects that are under development are now reconsidering the use of 1C-rated batteries.” 

To ensure the longevity of its batteries, the LUNA2000 employs a temperature controlled environment to prevent battery degradation when operating in hot operating conditions, which are synonymous with Africa. 

Mining operations also do not need to worry about downtime and subsequent production losses when replacing their batteries. The LUNA2000 is designed to ensure that the entire capacity of the 2 MWh storage container is not lost while a battery pack is being replaced.

Küpper adds that another important aspect to consider when investing in an ESS, such as Huawei’s LUNA2000, is whether the inverter, battery and management system come from the same source. 

SOLARWORLD has noted that performance issues with small- and large-scale storage systems always arise when combining products from different brands, even when manufacturers guarantee that they are compatible with other solutions and their protocols. Procuring technology from the same source also prevents mining operations from having to deal with one supplier blaming another’s product for the failure.

Smart Savings

Equipped with artificial intelligence (AI), FusionSolar’s utility-scale, commercial and residential solutions offer significantly reduced operation and main-tenance (O&M) costs, especially where projects are located in remote locations. 

Using cloud-based monitoring software, users can check the status of battery cells to identify problems remotely and reduce on-site working hours by conducting automatic calibrations, for example. 

Zeeman explains that, in terms of energy storage, a traditional battery ESS 100 MW system with 50 battery systems may require up to 300 man-days to be dedicated to manual battery pack calibrations across the plant. Huawei completely eliminates 

the need for manual calibration through pack optimisers to achieve automatic state-of-charge calibration without shutting down the system to do so.   

“It’s all about cost effectiveness. Deploying teams to conduct O&M on site, especially at remote sites, is challenging as there is a certain period in which you need to react to faults.”

While reducing the cost of performing general maintenance, this feature also saves the cost of having a technician travel to site to conduct that maintenance,” he states, emphasising that by optimising its AI technology, Huawei aims to eliminate unnecessary costs for its partners.

Since partnering with Huawei, SOLARWORLD has enjoyed the benefits of having an international partner when rolling out solar solutions.

“The company has the relevant footprint in the industry, in terms of size, research and development, and quality control, so that we only provide long-lasting products that perform in accordance with the client’s expectations. 

“Our market share has grown dramatically over the past seven years, therefore, it was a wise decision to partner with a company that can not only provide a good product but also quality service and technical support,” says Küpper.