South Africa's Ministry of Electricity and Energy has confirmed that the first two projects with Preferred Bidder status from Bid Window 1 of the country's battery storage program have reached commercial close, collectively representing 180 MW/720 MWh.
The ministry signed project agreements for the Mulilo Renewable Project Development and EDF International's Oasis Mookodi project, which has a capacity of 77 MW/308 MWh located in the North West Province. Additionally, the Mogobe Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project, developed by Scatec ASA and Perpetua Holding, will provide 103 MW/412 MWh in the Northern Cape province.
Both projects were selected as Preferred Bidders under the first Battery Energy Storage Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (BESIPPPP). Following this milestone, the projects are set to enter the construction phase, which is expected to be completed within 24 months, targeting commercial operations by around September 2026.
The total investment for the two projects is anticipated to reach ZAR 5.3 billion (USD 299 million/EUR 275 million). Mulilo Renewable Project Development, backed by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), has confirmed the achievement of this milestone alongside EDF International.
The Oasis Mookodi project is part of a larger portfolio of three Oasis schemes, with all three expected to be completed by October 2026. Commercial close for the other two projects, Oasis Aggeneis and Oasis Nieuwehoop, is anticipated to occur next month.
The Oasis Mookodi project will be operated under a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with electric utility Eskom, a similar arrangement for the other batteries in the Oasis portfolio. Mulilo's CEO, Jan Fourie, emphasized the significance of these initiatives, stating, “The Oasis projects are three of the first five BESS projects awarded under the BESIPPPP program to support the national grid. Implementations of technologies like these are essential for safeguarding the future of the South African energy landscape.”
