It is the first project of this scale on the African continent and for the Indian energy company Sterling and Wilson. All the batteries it plans to install through its new subsidiary Hybrid & Energy Storage Business will have a storage capacity of 30 Mwh.
The Indian company Sterling and Wilson will build 3 microarrays consisting of batteries for the storage of energy produced by solar panels and diesel. The stored hybrid energy will be used to power schools that are not yet connected to a power line. According to Sterling and Wilson, the goal of installing these 30 MWh batteries is also environmental. Ultimately, the project should contribute to “reducing the carbon footprint by 137,170 metric tons. This corresponds to 1.3 million trees planted,” Sterling and Wilson said in a statement.
After the design and construction of these electrical micro-grids, the company will take care of their management, operation and maintenance. This is the first project of the type by this $1.5 billion multinational company, which employs 2,581 people worldwide.
Project terms and conditions still unclear
For the moment the Indian company refuses to comment on the country where its famous batteries will be installed. The total cost of this project has also not been disclosed. It was only in April 2018 that Sterling and Wilson announced its intention to enter the energy storage market, notably by creating its new Hybrid & Energy Storage Business branch headed by Deepak Thakur. The company also aims to explore the hybrid energy market that should lead it to build gas, diesel and solar power plants in the United States and South America in the coming years.
The activity of this new subsidiary should also lead it to explore the possibilities in Europe, where it plans to work on energy storage. In March 2018, Sterling and Wilson announced that it would build 300 MW photovoltaic solar power plants in Vietnam by mid-2019. It also plans to build some in Southern France, this time with a combined capacity of 500 MW.
Jean Marie Takouleu
