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Humansdorp in the Eastern Cape has been earmarked as one of eight sites countrywide for Eskom's battery storage systems to help alleviate pressure on the national grid.
The Melkhout site was identified in a 2018 feasibility study.
On Thursday, the embattled power utility unveiled the first of its kind largest Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project, not only in South Africa but on the African continent.
The project is located in Worcester in the Western Cape and is the first to be completed after the BESS project was announced last July.
Eskom spokesperson, Daphne Mokoena, said the battery storage system serves as a direct response to addressing the country's long-running electricity crisis by adding more storage capacity to strengthen the grid while diversifying the existing generation energy mix.
It uses large-scale utility batteries with a total capacity of 1 440MWh per day and a 60MW PV capacity.
"The Hex site is specifically designed to store 100MWh of energy, enough to power a town such as Mossel Bay or Howick for about five hours," she said.
It forms part of Phase 1 of Eskom's BESS project which includes the installation of approximately 833MWh additional storage capacity at eight Eskom Distribution substation sites in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Western Cape, and Northern Cape.
This phase also includes about 2MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity.
"We are grateful to the various funders of the Eskom BESS project, and to our construction partner Hyosung Heavy Industries. This is proof of what we can achieve when we work as a team and in collaboration with industry and local communities," remarked Eskom's Group Executive for Distribution, Monde Bala.
"The BESS technology offers a versatile solution for improving overall grid performance and is in line with South Africa's commitment to the just energy transition to a more resilient and sustainable energy future.
"The initiative demonstrates Eskom's commitment in finding innovative solutions and embracing new technologies in preparation for the new era in the energy distribution landscape," Bala said.
