GET FIT Namibia Program

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As one of the first utility-scale storage projects in Southern Africa, the GET FiT Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project can be described as a flagship project. BESS is one of the largest battery energy storage facilities in the region (58 MW / 75 MWh) and will take on three main tasks related to the challenges identified from the perspective of RE expansion: 1) Excess electricity from RE generation as well as cheaper electricity imports from the South African Power Pool (SAPP) can be stored in the BESS, which can then be used to supply customers with energy during peak times. This will reduce coal-based electricity imports and replace fossil energy from the ageing Van Eck coal-fired power plant with RE. 2) The electricity grid in Namibia will be stabilized as short and medium-term electricity fluctuations from RE generation can be absorbed by the storage system. Given the planned growth of RE, this will ensure a stable electricity supply in the long term and create good production conditions for future growth and economic development. 3) The battery storage facility will enable Namibia to participate more equitably in electricity trading within the 12 member states of the South African Power Pool (SAPP). If surplus generation from renewables can be traded in the SAPP, a contribution can be made to regional climate protection. The CO2 savings from the battery storage facility - up to 821,000 tonnes over the project's planned lifetime of 19 years - will be equivalent to the savings from a solar PV power plant with a capacity of up to 40 MW.