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West Africans are now moving in many directions to enhance their power systems. This report ofers an overview of the challenges and the great profusion of activity across the region. It should inform conversation at Nigeria Energy in Lagos (19-21 September) and at the Africa Energy Expo in Rwanda next year.
The West Africa Energy Program run by US AID's Power Africa division includes support for five solar projects which will provide about 150MW of electricity, including the Kodeni and Nagréongo solar plants in Burkina Faso and a 250MW solar / hydropower hybrid plant in Ghana.
Hydroelectric power is the dominant source of power in the region and is the focus of most of the large schemes underway, although there are also plans to develop more gas-fired plants and some initiatives to develop coal-fired capacity. West African countries have now begun to develop utility-scale solar power.
There are significant power generation projects planned or underway in most parts of West Africa, with regional economic heavyweight Nigeria the most active market and also home to the biggest scheme: the 3GW Mambilla hydroelectric plant.
The cost of BESS has fallen significantly over the past decade, with more precipitous drops in recent years: This is nearly a 70% reduction in three years, owing to falling battery pack prices (now as low as $60-70/kWh in China), increased deployment, and improved efficiency.
Factoring in these costs from the beginning ensures there are no unexpected expenses when the battery reaches the end of its useful life. To better understand BESS costs, it's useful to look at the cost per kilowatt-hour (kWh) stored. As of recent data, the average cost of a BESS is approximately $400-$600 per kWh. Here's a simple breakdown:
Modern BESS solutions often include sophisticated software that helps manage energy storage, optimize usage, and extend battery life. This software can be an added expense, either as a one-time purchase or a subscription model. Effective software can lead to cost savings over time by ensuring the system operates at maximum efficiency.
Key Factors Influencing BESS Prices Battery Technology: Lithium-ion batteries dominate the market, particularly Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) and Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) chemistries. LFP has become more popular than the other due to its lower cost and longer lifespan.
This project marks Powin's first venture in Europe. Global energy storage supplier Powin LLC and Portuguese integrated energy company Galp have partnered to install a utility-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) in Algarve, Portugal. The 5 MW/20 MWh battery system will be built at one of Galp's solar power plants near the village of Alcoutim.
The BESS project Powin and Hitachi deployed for Galp in Portugal. Image: Powin / Hitachi / Galp. System integrator Powin has completed a 5MW/20MWh BESS project co-located with solar in Portugal for Galp, an oil, gas and renewables company.
Additional hybrid capacity is being deployed, namely by Iberdrola, Greenvolt, Akuo, EDP and GALP, supported by Portugal's Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) programme under the “Flexibility and Storage” incentive call. Under this PRR scheme, 41 projects were approved, totalling around 500 MW of new storage capacity and € 99.75 million in grants.
Portugal's cumulative PV capacity hit 2.59 GW at the end of 2022. It aims to install 20.4 GW of solar by 2030. The country has set a goal of at least 80% of electricity production coming from renewable sources by 2050. In November, it enjoyed a weekend of being powered solely by renewables.
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