Behind the morning surge is a quiet revolution in the town\u2019s energy system: the HEX Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), Africa\u2019s first utility\u2011scale lithium\u2011ion BESS, which is reshaping grid stability and ending load shedding for local producers.<\/p>\n
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Implemented by Eskom in partnership with South Korea\u2019s Hyosung Heavy Industries, HEX delivers 20 MW\/100 MWh of storage, capable of discharging uninterrupted power for up to five hours. It received its completion certificate on June 30, 2023, entered commercial operations on October 27, 2023, and now anchors an integrated mix of wind, solar and grid power that smooths Worcester\u2019s daily peaks.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe wind blows when demand is low, often at night,\u201d said Promise Ntuli, Senior Manager for Maintenance and Operations at Eskom Distribution Western Cape. \u201cThe storage system captures that excess nighttime generation and releases it at dawn, precisely when factories and farms start up.\u201d<\/p>\n
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For dairy farmer Pieter Loubser, the impact is immediate. \u201cThe cows need consistency. Feeding and milking at the same time every day. Luckily, load shedding is gone, and that is a big one for us,\u201d he said. With wine and dairy driving Worcester\u2019s economy, the ability to dispatch stored energy at morning peak safeguards livelihoods.<\/p>\n
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Backed by a $57.67 million concessional co\u2011investment from the Clean Technology Fund through the African Development Bank, HEX serves as the flagship of Eskom\u2019s Western Cape storage programme, alongside facilities at Graafwater and Paleisheuwel. The sites prove a replicable model for reducing risk, improving reliability and validating financing for grid\u2011scale storage across the continent.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThis was new technology for everybody,\u201d said Eskom Programme Manager Lwando Limba. \u201cWe have had specialists from around the world studying this site. The lessons on sequencing, procurement, logistics and safety are being shared widely.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Project leaders stress that socioeconomic outcomes are as important as technical success. \u201cWe recruited locally, supported small and medium enterprises, and invested in community projects,\u201d said Mbulelo Mvana from Eskom\u2019s Stakeholder Relations team. \u201cIt was never just about infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n
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According to the African Development Bank\u2019s Anthony Karembu, the project is reshaping energy policy beyond SA as countries incorporate storage into master plans. Ntuli added that Eskom\u2019s new division, Eskom Green, will scale renewables paired with batteries to store power and dispatch it when the grid needs it most.<\/p>\n
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–AfDB\/ChannelAfrica–<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":27729,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"news-type":[44],"class_list":["post-27728","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-type-finance","entry"],"acf":{"short_description":"At 4:47 CAT in Worcester, South Africa (SA), the day begins with the low hum of motors and milking parlours. ","published_date":"","news_description":"At 4:47 CAT in Worcester, South Africa (SA), the day begins with the low hum of motors and milking parlours. ","form_embed":"","author":"","image_caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/27728","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/27728\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27730,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/27728\/revisions\/27730"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27729"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27728"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.channelafrica.co.za\/channelafrica\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=27728"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}