Several African nations have officially indicated their interest in participating in the innovative Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) Consortium, which was launched during COP28. This collaboration has the potential to revolutionize the energy landscape in Africa by fostering advanced energy storage solutions through cooperation and ingenuity.
By becoming part of the BESS Consortium, which is a multi-stakeholder partnership initiative of the Global Leadership Council, member countries committed to actively contributing to meeting energy storage targets of 5 GW by the end of 2024. This, in turn, will establish a pathway towards ultimately achieving 400 GW of renewable energy by 2030.
The following countries – Burkina Faso, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Togo – have formally expressed their interest in joining the Consortium. These nations are set to receive support from resource partners of the BESS Consortium. These partners comprise the African Development Bank, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), Africa50, and Masdar. The support from these organizations will involve project preparation, enhancements to the regulatory framework, and the mobilization of both private and public investment.
Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group, noted that the financial institution presently allocates 87% of its funding for power generation to renewable energy.
“We are implementing a $20 billion Desert-to-Power program that will develop 10,000 megawatts of solar power for 11 countries in the Sahel zone and provide electricity for 250 million people. When completed this will be the largest solar zone in the world. The Desert-to-Power will deliver 25% of the global target of providing electricity access to one billion people globally, set by the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet”.
Adesina also said that the ADB has provided $58 million to help ESKOM build Africa’s largest battery energy storage system, with a capacity of 800 MW/hour.
