South Africans looking to purchase a backup power solution should be careful when considering suitable batteries.
The prevalence of load-shedding has led many to resort to battery-inverter systems that are able to charge when the power is on and then provide stored electricity for use during power cuts.

These battery systems are also used to store energy generated from renewable energy solutions like solar power.

Understanding the specifications of these batteries can be difficult for those unfamiliar with electrical systems, however.

Batteries that aren’t rated to perform as advertised are in the market, and even those who buy from respected sellers should be wary of misleading performance ratings.

Blue Nova Energy, which recently launched its MegaBoy intelligent Energy Storage Solution (iESS), told MyBroadband what to look out for – detailed below.

The problem with battery specifications
Certain vendors used load-shedding to exploit a lack of knowledge among consumers to sell battery products that aren’t necessarily intended for backup power.

While many vendors don’t explicitly lie about a battery’s specifications, subtle manipulations in how the performance factors are calculated can misconstrue its true capability.

“A lower-quality product can be made to look better on paper by obscuring or neglecting to mention certain product specifics, and therefore seem to be more affordable,” Blue Nova explained.

The company said that consumers tend to compare product prices, rather than taking long-term product running costs into consideration.

“The data available on the data sheets of these products is, for the most part, accurate. The difficulty is determining what the published data is based on exactly,” said Blue Nova.

“For instance, minimum cycle life depends mainly on chemistry, maximum daily depth of discharge (DoD) percentage, ambient temperature, and capacity retention at end-of-life.”

“The latter is sometimes mentioned in small-print in warranty documents,” the company added.

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The Megamillion Energy Company intends to be Africa’s first large-scale producer of lithium-ion batteries, with a mandate to make batteries “in Africa, for Africa’s benefit first”.
Megamillion aims to have the continent's "first lithium-ion battery production pilot" plant up and running in the second half of this year, says Megamillion Group CEO Nechan Naicker.

The exact location is still to be decided, with Coega the current preferred site.

The initial 0.25 GWh (scaleable) pilot plant will be capable of producing more than ten-million lithium-ion cells a year.

Funding for the $35-million pilot plant will flow from a mix of local and global private equity investors, with Naicker not yet willing to provide specifics.

Lithium-ion batteries have been used in rechargeable products, such as cell phones and laptops, for a number of years already, and more recently in electric vehicles. They are also used in small-scale business and utility applications, and as energy storage solutions for renewable energy installations.

“Working with established battery technology pioneers from China, the plan is to ramp up to an annual production output of 32 GWh of cells by 2028, with the primary focus on cells for the energy storage market and, thereafter, for the electric vehicle market,” says Naicker.

​He adds that Megamillion is “not reinventing the wheel, but cutting and pasting” existing technology and processes from “respected Chinese lithium-ion battery specialists” for use in Africa.

“We have already produced sample batteries with our partner, and these have successfully undergone tests at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. Our cell is very advanced, it has a high energy density and our partner has a number of patents for its safety aspects.”

An African Solution
With a high prevalence of load-shedding in the Southern African Development Community, affordable energy storage is a critical factor for energy security, says Naicker.

While renewable energy sources are playing an important role in supplementing the energy generated from the traditional fossil-fuel energy sources, energy from wind and solar can be intermittent and not completely reliable, he notes.

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Attractive costs for solar and wind power and cutting-edge innovations are making clean energy a compelling proposition in Sub-Saharan Africa, which faces the world’s largest gaps in electricity access. But solar and wind power are variable by nature, making it essential to find effective ways to store the electricity they produce to use when it is needed most.

Energy storage – batteries in particular – can help solve that problem.

Today, battery technology is costly and not widely deployed in large-scale energy projects. The gap is particularly acute in Sub-Saharan Africa, where nearly 600 million people still live without access to reliable and affordable electricity, despite the region’s significant wind and solar power potential and burgeoning energy demand.

Catalyzing new markets will be key to drive down costs for batteries and make it a viable energy storage solution in Africa.

A recent partner- and investor-focused conference sought to do just that.

The “Batteries, Energy Storage & the Renewable Future” event in Cape Town on Feb. 24 and 25 was attended by more than 200 participants from companies including Tesla, General Electric, Fluence, Siemens, the Southern Africa Power Pool, and national research labs and utilities from many countries.

South Africa’s Minister for Energy, Mr. Jeff Radebe, delivered opening remarks, and underscored the country’s commitment to the application of battery storage in its energy systems.

The event focused on the potential for batteries and other forms of energy storage to complement renewable energy by supporting off-grid and mini grids, which supply electricity to millions of people living in remote communities or areas that are not supported by traditional infrastructure.

It also demonstrated the tremendous demand that exists in the region today for energy solutions that do not just boost the uptake of clean energy, but also help stabilize and strengthen existing electricity grids and aid the global push to adopt more clean energy and fight against climate change.

Global demand for battery storage is expected to reach 2,300 GWh by 2030, while power systems around the world will need nearly ten times more — 22,000 GWh — of storage capacity by 2050 to integrate more wind and solar energy into the electricity grid.

The World Bank is already taking steps to address this growing need.
​

​A new, first-of-its-kind $1 billion World Bank Group (WBG) program aims to help fast-track investments in battery storage by raising $4 billion more in public and private funds and convening a global think tank with the ultimate goal of financing 17.5 GWh of battery storage by 2025 – more than triple the 4-5 GWh currently installed in all developing countries.

“Last year, almost twice as many energy storage projects were announced globally – and the same is expected this year. The market is still small, but exponential growth has begun,” said Michael Solomon, the Chief Executive Officer of Clean Horizon.

To that end, the World Bank, in partnership with the Climate Technology Fund (CTF) and the African Development Bank, will support a large-scale distributed battery storage program in South Africa.

The WBG is also developing solar parks with 150 MW of PV and some 200 MWh battery storage each in Mali and Burkina Faso – the largest in the region. Other projects include a combined solar and battery storage project in Haiti, an emergency solar and battery storage power plant in the Gambia and mini-grids in island states to improve resilience.

In recent years, the WBG has also been working with other countries to support the deployment of batteries with solar and wind power, with projects currently under preparation in Africa, South Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean and the Pacific.

The World Bank event, “Batteries, Energy Storage & the Renewable Future,” was held in Cape Town, South Africa on Feb. 25-26, 2019 with the support of the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) and the Middle East and North Africa Knowledge and Innovation Program (MENA KIP).

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The Coega Special Economic Zone (SEZ) is at an advanced stage of setting up factories that will supply gigawatt factories with manganese, a key ingredient in most lithium-ion batteries.

Coega Development Corporation (CDC) business development metallurgic sector manager Sadick Davids says the SEZ is the “most ideal location in terms of readiness for the beneficiation of the base material for this industry”.

He added that the Coega SEZ has the infrastructure nodes in place to provide services for exporting manganese, as well as the skills capacity.

The local industry, Davids notes, is known for historical battery manufacturing such as Eveready Batteries, in Port Elizabeth.

From a jobs perspective, the value chain in the development of manganese at Coega for the battery or energy storage markets has the potential to create more than 10 000 direct jobs and 15 000 indirect jobs plus an investment value of more than R20-billion.

“What makes Coega SEZ an ideal location for the manufacturing of lithium-ion battery capacity is experience in this sector. The CDC is also located near the Nelson Mandela University which could provide research based insight for advancing and growing the sector,” highlights Davids.

The university is already a key technology player and boasts a testing facility specifically for battery development, while the CDC’s partnership with other key State institutions in the province is making headway for the first investment in lithium-ion battery factories within the next two years.

“The CDC believes the local production of manganese-based batteries will position the Eastern Cape to benefit from the emerging energy storage and electric mobility or e-mobility markets,” adds CDC energy sector manager Sandisiwe Ncemane.

The urgent relocation of the current manganese facility from the Port of Port Elizabeth to Ngqura will serve as an enabler to the Coega SEZ, which has the capacity and infrastructure for a battery storage and manufacturing, Ncemane concluded. 

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Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC), part of Daimler Trucks Asia (DTA), the front runner in electric trucks, has delivered the first units of its eCanter, in two ceremonies to its first Japanese customers, Seven-Eleven and Yamato Transport.
The eCanter is the first all-electric light-duty truck in series-production by a global manufacturer. The truck made its worldwide debut last month in New York City, and is being leased initially in a small series-production in Japan, Europe and the US. Today’s handover ceremonies mark the first worldwide delivery of FUSO’s eCanter into customer hands.
Kazuo Matsunaga, Chairman of MFTBC & DTA stated, “In times of rapid urbanization, manufacturers, forward thinking customers, and municipalities have to cooperate in order to lower greenhouse gas emissions and make cities greener and quieter. FUSO has taken the leadership role in the electrification of trucks, and is very happy to hand over these first eCanter to its customers today.”
He added: “We are grateful we could convince such iconic and forward thinking companies like Seven-Eleven and Yamato, to become the first customers to receive the eCanter and operate it in their fleets, setting a benchmark for corporate citizenship”.
The handover ceremonies were held at Seven-Eleven’s Chilled Hino Center (Hino City, Tokyo) and Yamato Transport’s Haneda Chronogate (Ota Ward, Tokyo). Seven-Eleven will gradually start to operate the eCanter in eight of their centers in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba. Seven-Eleven is committed to reduce the burden on the environment by optimizing their distribution systems. Yamato Transport also plans to use the eCanter for its transport operations in the Kanto region to contribute to a sustainable urban environment. Seiichi Awa, Managing Director of Yamato, said: “As the largest logistics company in Japan, trucks are at the heart of our company. We are excited to be the first to integrate the electric eCanter into our operations and make deliveries emission-free. We believe electric trucks are the future of urban delivery.”
The FUSO eCanter is a light-duty truck that emits zero local emissions and zero engine noise. This enables businesses to have deliveries, even in dense neighborhoods, in early morning hours and late into the night. It is also a positive business case, as customer fleet tests have shown that the electric eCanter can save up to approximately 1000 Euro per10.000 kilometers in operating costs. The electric truck has a GVW of 7.5 tons, carries 6 lithium-ion battery packs and offers a range of roughly100km on a single charge. Charging takes around 1.5 hours (DC quick-charging system) and 11 hours with a regular system (200 V). The body comes in various configurations such as box body and flatbed. MFTBC has a long history and experience in alternative drivetrains. Since 2005, we are manufacturing and selling the Canter Eco Hybrid. In 2010, we presented the first prototype of our all-electric light-duty truck “E-CELL”.

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Bushveld Minerals Limited , a mineral project development company with a portfolio of vanadium and coal assets in Southern Africa and an investment in tin, is pleased to announce that its 84%-owned energy subsidiary, Bushveld Energy Limited ("Bushveld Energy") has confirmed its first vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) deployment in South Africa.
The system will be deployed with Eskom, the South African national power utility, at its Research, Testing and Development (RT&D) Centre in Rosherville, South Africa.
This follows Eskom's identification of the need for potentially up to    2,000MW of additional, daily balanced energy storage within the existing grid earlier this year. The project is co-developed by Bushveld Energy and the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa (IDC) and will allow Eskom to test the VRFB, its performance and applications under numerous simulations. This will include minimum load shifting, wind generation smoothing, solar generation smoothing, power quality improvement and self-black-start capability. The VRFB commissioning is expected in the first half of 2018.

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The U.S. Trade and Development Agency awarded a grant to Solafrica Energy (Pty) Ltd., a developer of utility-scale solar power plants in Southern Africa, for a pilot project that demonstrates the performance of an energy storage system based on Primus Power Corporation's (California) EnergyPod2® technology.

The EnergyPod2® is a long-duration energy storage system based on zinc-bromine flow batteries. The pilot will demonstrate the performance of this energy storage system under South Africa's electric grid conditions at the large-scale energy storage test and demonstration facility of Eskom, South Africa's national electricity utility.

The pilot will include a series of assessments to determine applications where long-duration energy storage has the greatest value on South Africa's electric grid and will generate an implementation plan for the deployment of Primus Power's energy storage systems throughout the country. Large-scale deployments of energy storage on South Africa's electric grid will increase the capacity of the grid, support further integration of renewable energy resources, and offset the use of diesel fuel for peaking power and backup power generation.

"USTDA is pleased to support this project that will increase energy storage capacity in South Africa and ultimately expand access to affordable, reliable electricity," said Lida Fitts, Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Director at USTDA. "The project will display the value and applications of innovative U.S. technologies in a growing and important sector in South Africa."

"South Africa's rapid increase in renewable energy integration has introduced challenges related to intermittent power generation," said Nasi Rwigema, Project Director of Solafrica Energy. "Innovative and cost-effective energy storage solutions will add great value to energy users and electricity network operators alike."

"As a continent, Africa has the majority of the world's population without access to reliable electricity," commented Tom Stepien, CEO of Primus Power. "By commencing this pilot with the support of USTDA, we aim to demonstrate the performance, reliability, durability and cost competitiveness of our EnergyPod2® system and apply it in order to satisfy energy storage needs in South Africa, and additional countries in Africa, for years to come."

This pilot project was submitted through USTDA's previous proposal window for energy projects in sub-Saharan Africa. USTDA currently has a new call for initial proposals from energy project sponsors or U.S. companies working in the region. Interested parties must submit an initial concept paper by 5:00pm Eastern Time on September 25, 2017 and may refer to the press release as well as USTDA's full proposal guidelines available on its website.

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA).

Source: U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA)

See also..... ​US Trade and Development Agency
​pays for South Africa flow battery pilot

He stood a striking 6 feet 2 inches tall, quite unusual for his time. Known for possessing a photographic memory and being capable of memorizing entire books, Nikola Tesla is remembered for transformational inventions such as the induction motor, electrical power distribution, fluorescent lights, wireless communications, and remote control of mechanical devices.
But of all of Tesla’s inventions, there was one that never saw the light of day. It was a revolutionary idea that had the potential to reshape our world in profound ways. It was also an idea that was more than a century ahead of its time. But now, Tesla’s unfinished masterpiece is on the verge of becoming a reality.
Let me explain…Tesla Meets J.P. Morgan....
In March 1901, Tesla received a $150,000 investment (approximately $4.1 million in today’s dollars) from one J. Pierpont Morgan (yes, that J.P. Morgan) in exchange for 51% of any wireless patents that might be produced from experiments at a place called Wardenclyffe. Wardenclyffe was a facility about 10 miles away from Port Jefferson, NY, which is on Long Island. Tesla intended to use the facility to develop the technology to transmit wireless communications across the ocean to Europe. This was exactly what J.P. Morgan invested in. Morgan wanted the technology so he could charge customers for wireless communications. With the funds from Morgan, Tesla constructed a quite unusual-looking tower for the time.
It's purpose was supposed to be for “World Telegraphy”… in other words, wireless communications. But Tesla had a different goal. Perhaps it was one even more grand than wireless communications. Unbeknownst to Morgan, Tesla wanted to use the tower to demonstrate wireless power distribution… on a very large scale.
Tesla’s vision incorporated many of his towers emitting energy throughout the atmosphere. This energy would be utilized by airplanes, automobiles, and even ships designed with special receiving devices to collect the wireless power. On a large scale, this technology would have allowed ships to travel the seas without ever stopping to refuel. Planes could stay airborne indefinitely, constantly supplied with power from Tesla’s towers. When Morgan discovered Tesla’s ulterior motive, the funding stopped. Eventually this led to the Wardenclyffe facility shutting down. The property was sold off to cover some of Tesla’s debts, and sadly, the historic Tesla Tower was torn down as well.
Tesla’s Work Is Becoming a Reality...
But what many thought to be the ideas of a mad scientist 100 years ago, have become a reality today… As you already know, Tesla’s original idea of wireless communications has been with us for years. The mobile phone in your pocket is proof. And while we may not be transmitting energy across the Atlantic Ocean, Tesla’s vision of wireless power distribution is happening now at a much closer range. Behind the complex technology of wireless power distribution is something quite simple: the ability to charge your electronic devices without the need of a power cable for each device.
Imagine being able to come home after being out all day and setting your smartphone, your Bluetooth headset, your iPad/tablet, and your health tracker down on your desk next to your computer. That’s it. Nothing to plug in, no cables to worry about, just set the devices down and they charge “magically.” This possibility is not as far off as you think…You see, on September 12, tech giant Apple is expected to release the newest version of its popular iPhone. And when Apple releases the iPhone 8, it almost certainly will include wireless charging as a feature. But Apple is just the tip of the iceberg.
Following a Tech Giant....
Since Apple released its very first iPhone in 2007, it’s been a trendsetter for other smartphone makers. Whatever new features Apple adds, others follow. So when Apple releases wireless charging as a feature on the iPhone 8, the rest of the industry will copy it…And the rest of the mobile phone market is much larger than Apple’s shipment volumes.
Samsung alone shipped 309 million smartphones in 2016… And Chinese company Huawei shipped 139 million. In 2016, Apple’s rivals shipped 1.27 billion smartphones. That’s a massive market. And wireless charging won’t be confined just to your mobile phone…Wireless power distribution may start with cellphones… but after that, the technology will reach mass adoption.
Any consumer product that contains electronics will be a target for this technology. Wireless headphones, iPads, health tracking devices, and even “smart clothes” will all be able to charge up wirelessly. This technology could even be used to continuously heat your morning cup of coffee so that it never gets cold.
The Companies I’m Watching Closely…
The bottom line is that Tesla’s original idea of wireless power distribution may have been more than a century ahead of its time, but it’s quickly becoming a reality, not in the next few decades, but as early as next week.
And you may be wondering, how best to play this emerging trend?
There are several companies that will be a part of the wireless charging solution. A group I have been keeping my eye on has some of the best names in the power management semiconductor arena. Companies like Analog Devices, Dialog Semiconductor, and Texas Instruments are some of my favorite key players. These three are ones I’ll be following very closely in the months and years ahead as Tesla’s unfinished masterpiece becomes the new reality.
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Courtesy Of Jeff Brown - Editor, Exponential Tech Investor (Casey Research USA)
P.S. When Apple unveils its iPhone 8 on September 12, I believe it will include wireless charging capabilities. But in order to pull this off, Apple will need the help of one company--a company that I’ve recently identified…

The decreasing cost of energy storage solutions presents many opportunities for South Africa to manage the key issue of localised peak load power generation more efficiently, says green energy solutions provider Freedom Won co founder and director Antony English.
He explains that, internationally, power utilities are increasingly employing large-scale chemical-based energy storage solutions, such as lithium-ion batteries, to manage peak demand and geographically specific grid transmission capacity constraints. With the acquisition cost of energy storage technology significantly decreasing in the past year, this option is only becoming more appealing.
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“Solar in particular, but also wind energy, does not generate power when it is most needed. Renewable-energy sources such as these should be leveraged much harder in South Africa to solve the peak demand problem and this can be done by incorporating energy storage on a more extensive scale.”
Particularly compelling is the benefit that storage can offer to the energy sector by virtue of the low life cycle cost of operating such systems, compared with the massive costs associated with upgrading generation and transmission for handling peak loads, both nationally and on a local municipal level.
“Energy storage used in strategically located peaking plants will also enable transmission infrastructure spend to be focused on presently unserved or underserved areas of South Africa, as opposed to spending limited resources on costly upgrades in overstressed sections of the grid.”
English notes that a challenge for large-scale implementation of energy storage is, however, instilling an awareness and acceptance that battery technology need not be encumbered by the poor performance of obsolete technologies such as lead acid batteries, but instead that game changing and unparalleled performance is on offer.
“The purchase price of a lithium-ion battery requires a long-term view regarding the return on investment, which requires forward thinking and strategic intent – traits that need to be developed further in the African context. State and institutional support for funding energy storage projects also need to be enhanced.”
Despite this, English is confident that, in the long term, energy storage will become ubiquitous in both small- and large-scale energy applications, driven mostly by the economic benefits it offers, and even without State support.
The new possibilities provided by the lower cost of robust storage technologies will also see it being used extensively in grid connected peak demand sharing and in large-scale renewable energy plants, for enhancing the time-based availability of renewable energy.
“Demand will continue growing at an ever-increasing pace for energy storage in residential right through to large industrial users, owing to the benefits of stability of supply and lower overall energy cost – among others.”
English will be leveraging his experience and expertise in lithium energy storage as a panellist on the energy storage panel discussion at this year’s POWER-GEN & DistribuTECH Africa, held at the Sandton Convention Centre from July 18 to 20. 

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... with our Lite Mini, bringing the joys of solar power and LiFePO4 battery technology to the small, off grid and informal house owner...
 
Freedom Lite Mini – from Freedom Won – offers the same extraordinary LiFePO4 service life and efficiency as the Freedom Lite Home and Business range but with lower cost internal electronics. This means the purchase cost is minimised specifically for entry level UPS and residential energy storage solutions. These models do not communicate with any other device but they do have complete internal cut-out protection and monitoring to prevent damage to the battery. The Mini is available in both 26V and 52V nominal for up to 120A continuous output. The design incorporates handles for easy mobility, feet for placing on the floor, and keyholes on the back for mounting on the wall.
 
Models available:
 

• Freedom Lite Mini 2,5/2 (2,5kWh max available and 2kWh daily cycling recommended)
• Freedom Lite Mini 4,0/3.2 (4kWh max available and 3.2kWh daily cycling recommended)

 
Both models have a 5 year unlimited cycle warranty.
 
Freedom Won has partnered with Treetops Renewable Energy in Cape Town to pair their Sunplug with the Mini for bringing the joys of solar power and LiFePO4 battery technology to the small, off grid and informal house owner. The Sunplug is an all in one energy management and power distribution wall mount unit that only needs to be plugged into the Mini and some solar panels to provide a complete off grid solution.
 
The Mini is suited to all 24V and 48V inverters, but would likely find the most favour amongst owners for matching with the inexpensive hybrid inverters like the Axpert range.
 
The June 2017 suggested retail price excl VAT of the two models is:
 

• Freedom Lite Mini 2,5/2 – R18 400 (USD1395)
• Freedom Lite Mini 4,0/3.2 – R26 900 (USD2050)

 
Solar solution integrators may contact Freedom Won for trade prices.