U.S energy storage company, Ambri, has announced that it will deliver an order of liquid metal battery energy storage system to South Africa’s Earth & Wire, to serve a 300-MW, 1,200-MWh combined wind and solar powered generation project being developed in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.
The system will be the largest battery energy storage system to be deployed in South Africa. Ambri will begin shipping the batteries for this project in 2024 with installation completed in 2026.
“We are looking forward to working with a dynamic and mission-driven company like Earth & Wire as we expand in the U.S. and globally,” said Adam Briggs, Chief Commercial Officer at Ambri.
“Our companies share a mission of accelerating the decarbonization of grids and enabling consumers to meet their energy needs from renewable resources. As South Africa works to address its current energy challenges, this partnership – and our technology more broadly – will help Earth & Wire and other renewable energy providers solve long-standing operational challenges and stabilise their nation’s energy grids,” added Briggs.
As demand for energy increases and Eskom begins to decommission its coal-generation fleet, these systemic issues will require the introduction of renewable energy resources that can connect effectively and supply consistently into the national grid.
“As we’ve continued to develop, construct, grow, and sell our pipeline of renewable energy projects across South Africa, we’ve been looking for the right partner to meet the challenges of storing the excess energy we generate and providing our customers with a full-spectrum, 24-hour source of electricity. Ambri is that partner,” said Thomas Garner, Business Development Executive at Earth & Wire.
“Ambri’s technology is an ideal answer to meet this challenge, and we look forward to utilising their battery system to provide affordable, reliable clean energy to all Southern Africans, from all walks of life.”
By deploying Ambri’s technology, Earth & Wire will be able to help manage fluctuations in supply and demand, and work toward providing consistent and responsive electrical power to their South African customers. The order represents the largest commercial deployment in the company’s history to date, and another step in Ambri’s progress towards commercialisation.
