Energy storage tech can ease Africa’s power blackout pain

Tuesday, June 23, 2020 0:01

By RISTO PALDANIUS |

Kenya Power technicians perform maintenance on a transmission line.

A strategy centred around energy storage and flexible power systems will be the key to guaranteeing the reliability of a high-renewable grid, while also lowering the cost of electricity.

But here is the challenge: How can African countries build an electricity system that can both integrate a large amount of inexpensive but intermittent renewable energy, while at the same time ensure resilience for the continent’s blackout-prone grids?

Rising electricity demand and the increased deployment of intermittent renewable energy resources introduce an extra layer of complexity to the job of grid management.

Moreover, storage can charge and discharge energy as required on demand, making it a key piece of the stable energy infrastructure needed to improve grid reliability and security in Africa.