Sterling and Wilson wins mandate for solar storage hybrid plant in Niger
- October 16, 2020
Sterling and Wilson Pvt Ltd has announced that its Hybrid & Energy Storage (HES) division, in consortium partnership with Vergnet (a French company) and SNS Niger, has won a major EPC contract project in Niger, a West African country.
The contract entails constructing of a solar PV battery storage and diesel genset-based hybrid power plant in Agadez, Niger, in West Africa. Tendered by The Nigerian Electricity Company (NIGELEC), the project consists of:
- 18.9MWp solar PV
- 11.55MWh/3.0 MVA battery energy storage system (BESS)
- 6.54 MVA (2.18 x 3 MVA) diesel generator
The project also involves a 20kV substation, and evacuation line up to the Nigelec substation in Agadez. The consortium will also be responsible for a two-year O&M service contract.
Battery-based energy storage enables generated electricity to be stored and delivered at any given time, providing stability to the grid, and enabling energy delivered on demand. It will also aid flexibility and agility to better integrate solar and diesel energy into the electricity grid of the city and ensure quality power.
Niger, a landlocked country located in West Africa, has only recently resorted to solar PV and diesel with battery storage hybrid project as an energy source for such remote locations. The upcoming plant is crucial for Agadez city located at the gateway to the Sahara Desert, and isolated from the rest of the country.
The project also includes the rehabilitation of the electrical network of the city of Agadez, which does not allow the evacuation of electricity to and within the city, and the electrification of the neighbouring hamlet of Tibinitene.
Speaking on the occasion, Deepak Thakur, CEO, Hybrid & Energy Storage, Sterling and Wilson said, “We are extremely delighted to have secured another prestigious opportunity in Africa after successfully commissioning Nigeria’s first solar storage hybrid power plant, which is also Africa’s largest battery energy storage system. Hybrid energy solutions is a huge opportunity as many power generation and distribution companies in places like Africa are moving into renewables.”
“As one of the leading turnkey EPC solution providers globally, with project management, engineering and delivery expertise of over 11 GW of diversified energy offerings across geographies, along with our consortium partners, we are committed to deliver this project well on-time, fully complying with the stringent quality and safety standards,” added Thakur.
O&M services will comprise complete system and rehabilitation of the electrical network of the city of Agadez, and the electrification of the neighbouring hamlet of Tibinitene. The consortium will provide project management assistance and institutional support to train engineers and technicians of Nigelec in photovoltaic technologies to enable them to operate large-scale solar power plants in the short term and to ensure smooth functioning of the plant even after two years.
Photograph shows a Solar-BESS (battery energy storage system) project executed by Sterling and Wilson in Nigeria (Photo: www.sterlingandwilson.com)