Rustenburg – Energy company Sandock Austral Energy is set to revolutionise South Africa’s energy landscape with its latest innovation, a lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS) that could help end load shedding for business and individuals.
The battery energy storage system is being built in Durban.
Sandock Austral Energy CEO Rob Shongwe said the system, which was patented and assembled locally, offers a unique differentiation by ensuring the cell is treated with care at a cell level and is not prone to thermal runaway while operating and delivering the backup power.
Shongwe was speaking on the side-lines of the eThekwini Energy Transformation Summit taking place at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban.
He explained that Sandock Austral Energy – a division of Sandock Austral, the African leader in marine, defence, aerospace and energy – was focused on expanding into green energy.
"We are committed to providing sustainable, low-carbon solutions such as solar, wind, bio-mass and LNG (liquefied natural gas)," Shongwe said.
“Our aim is to ensure the livelihoods of South Africans and promote economic activity while ensuring energy security.”
Asked how the energy storage system differs from other solutions currently available in Durban, Shongwe said that the company’s localisation efforts set it apart.
“Our battery is born and assembled in Durban,” he said. “It offers the potential for increased comfort to residential customers, while industrial clients benefit from maintained productivity through continued supply.”
He believed the system could also address not just Durban’s energy crisis but the country’s energy crisis by providing backup power during outages and load shedding.
He stressed the need for a hybrid energy mix that includes different technologies such as coal, nuclear, gas, oil, hydro and biomass.
This, he said, must be apportioned through a model that has a business case for the electricity utility.
To achieve this vision, Shongwe said Sandock Austral Energy was committed to engaging with local communities and stakeholders throughout the value chain of their BESS.
Sandock Austral Energy has also identified employment creation, enterprise development for SMMEs and co-financing with public guarantees as other solutions needed to address South Africa’s energy crisis.
IOL